Syrian Air Defenses Shoot Down 21 Israeli Missiles - Third Such Incident in 2 Months

Syrian air defense systems destroyed 21 out of 24 missiles fired from Israeli F-15 fighters on Friday, making it the third such incident in about two months.

Syria’s state-run SANA reported that the “Israeli enemy carried out an air aggression from the direction southeast of Beirut, targeting some points in the vicinity of the city of Damascus.”

"At about 01:30 on September 3, four Israeli F-15 tactical fighter jets fired 24 guided missiles at targets on Syrian territory from Lebanon’s airspace," Vadim Kulit, deputy chief of the Russian Center for Reconciliation of the Opposing Parties in Syria, was quoted as saying by Russian government-owned TASS News Agency. "Russian-made Buk-M2E and Pantsyr-S systems on duty in the Syrian air defense units downed 21 missiles."

He also said that 35 shelling attacks from the positions of the terrorist group Jabhat al-Nusra (outlawed in Russia) were reported in the Idlib de-escalation zone over the past day. "Three Syrian soldiers were wounded as a result of shelling of the government forces’ positions near the settlement of Qinsibba in the Idlib governorate by terrorists," Kulit said.

Apart from that, two shelling attacks on the positions of Syrian government troops by militants of illegal armed groups acting on the Turkey-controlled territory were reported near the Tell Rifaat in the Aleppo governorate. An artillery strike was delivered by militants from the settlement of Tell Maled at the positions of the Syrian government army near the settlement of Wastiya, one Syrian soldier was wounded.

Sounds of explosions were reportedly heard in central Israel shortly after airstrikes carried out in Syria.

Also read: Russia Upgrades Syrian Air Defenses

“This morning, residents of central [Israel] found a number of missile fragments on the ground. The fragments were collected by the Israel Police. We thank the residents for their conscientiousness, and we ask them to not touch these fragments,” the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said.

The IDF did not comment on the alleged strikes in Syria, as per its policy.

On August 20, Syrian anti-aircraft systems shot down 22 out of 24 missiles. A similar incident took place in July- Israeli F-16s fired 8 missiles of which 7 were intercepted.