IDF confirms projectile fell in Golan as Syria claims it downed ‘hostile targets’

The IDF spokesperson’s Unit confirmed that Israel’s air defense system identified a one Syrian surface-to-air missile projectile fell in open territory in the Golan Heights after the Syrian regime said it had downed “hostile targets” over the southern part of the country on Thursday night.

While IDF troops are scanning the area for the remnants, it is still unclear if the fell on the Syrian or Israeli side ‬of the Golan Heights.

The IDF also stressed that all reports that an Israeli aircraft was launched were false.

Earlier Thursday night, the Syrian regime said it downed “hostile targets” over the southern part of the country on Thursday night.

“Air defense intercepts hostile targets over al-Kiswah and downed them,” a military source was quoted as saying by SANA.

#BREAKING: @AlHadath sources: Israeli jets strike positions of Iranian proxy militias in southern Syria pic.twitter.com/Q099cwl50A

— Amichai Stein (@AmichaiStein1) November 29, 2018

According to local reports the downed targets were Israeli missiles which were targeting positions of Iranian proxy militias in southern Syria.

Israeli officials have repeatedly voiced concerns over the growing Iranian presence on its borders and the smuggling of sophisticated weaponry to Hezbollah from Tehran to Lebanon via Syria, stressing that both are red-lines for the Jewish State.

With the presence of Iranian and Hezbollah forces, Israel’s northern front has become the IDF’s number one priority. Working to prevent the entrenchment of Iranian forces and the transfer of advanced weaponry to Hezbollah, the Israel Air Force has admitted to carrying out hundreds of airstrike in Syria.

While Russia has recently provided the S-300 advanced anti-aircraft missile batteries to the Syrian regime, Israel has said that it will continue to operate in the war-torn country as long as Iran remains.

Russia delivered the launcher, radar and command and control vehicle of the advanced air-to-surface missile system to Syria in early October as a response to the downing of a Russian reconnaissance plane by Syrian air defenses during an Israeli airstrike on Iranian targets the previous month.

The system was deployed to Masyaf in northwestern Syria and is not believed to be operational yet.

Moscow said it would also impose electronic countermeasures over Syria’s coastline to suppress satellite navigation, onboard radar systems and communications of warplanes attacking targets on Syrian territory.

In May Israeli airstrikes targeted Iranian targets belonging to Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corp’s Quds Force and included intelligence sites, logistics headquarters, a military compound and logistics complex in Kiswah, weapons storage sites belonging at Damascus International Airport, intelligence systems and installations, as well as observation, military posts and military hardware in the buffer zone.

According to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights at least 11 Iranians were among the 46 killed in Israel’s strikes which were in retaliation after 20 rockets were fired towards Israel’s front defensive line in the Golan Heights by the Quds Force.

In a report published on The American Interest news site, one of the targets struck included the “Glasshouse” facility at the Damascus International Airport was used by the IRGC as it’s headquarters under the command of General Hussein Kaani to supervise operations closer to the border with Israel.

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