Overnight, March 17, 2017, IAF aircraft targeted several targets in Syria, the IDF Spokesperson announced Friday morning.
Several anti-aircraft missiles were launched from Syria following the mission and IDF Aerial Defense Systems intercepted one of the missiles, using the Arrow missile for the first time in real battle conditions.
The Arrow is a family of anti-ballistic missiles designed to fulfill an Israeli requirement for a theater missile defense system that would be more effective against ballistic missiles than the US-made Patriot surface-to-air missile. Jointly funded and produced by Israel and the United States, development of the system began in 1986.
The Arrow program was launched in light of the acquisition by Arab states of long ranged surface-to-surface missiles. It was chosen over other missiles since the Arrow was judged to be a more complete concept and had greater range.
At no point was the safety of Israeli civilians or the IAF aircraft compromised, according to the IDF release.
Alert sirens were sounded in many Jordan Valley settlements at 2:43 AM Friday. Jerusalem residents reported hearing at least two explosions that sounded like Iron Dome missiles taking down incoming rockets.
Arab media sources reported that the IAF attack was along the border between Lebanon and Syria, east of Baalbek, about 60 miles northeast of Beirut and north of Damascus.
In Jordan local residents discovered the remains of a rocket north of Amman, in the Irbid area.
Israeli media sources have speculated that the target of Friday’s attack was a convoy of Syrian weapons going to Hezbollah.