Israel fired a Patriot missile Wednesday afternoon to intercept a drone infiltrating its air space from Syrian territory.
The Code Red incoming rocket alert siren was triggered shortly after 3:30 pm Wednesday afternoon in the Golan Heights along the Syrian border, and in the northern Jordan Valley. The alarm was triggered by the launch of the Patriot missile at the unmanned aerial vehicle (drone) approaching Israeli territory from Syria, the IDF explained.
: Sirens heard un Northen Israel; Patriot missile was fired towards an unidentified target pic.twitter.com/juFTPpA4mS pic.twitter.com/20bxVnOoQA
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An Israeli who noticed the smoke from the interception in the sky said, “It appears to be over the Jordan Valley. I don’t know what it is, but it doesn’t bode well. It’s not moving – the smoke from that thing is just hanging in the air.”
The drone was shot down over the Jewish community of Or Heller, near Lake Kinneret, some 10 kilometers into Israel, according to local sources.
“A short while ago, an IAF Patriot missile intercepted a UAV that infiltrated the Israeli border from Syria,” the IDF said. “The aerial defense systems identified the threat and tracked it.
“The IDF will not allow any violation of Israeli airspace and will act against any attempt to hurt its civilians,” the IDF Spokesperson added.
Parts of the missile landed in the waters of Lake Kinneret (Sea of Galilee. Israeli Police are asking all vessels on the lake to leave the water due to operational activity. The seafaring public on the water and along the shore is being asked to obey the orders of the security forces.
It’s not yet clear who launched the drone, nor who manufactured it or brought it into Syria.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is meeting Wednesday afternoon in Moscow with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin to discuss once more Israel’s rejection of any Iranian presence in any form across Israel’s northern border in Syria.