The Israeli military said the aircraft was 'intercepted in mid-flight, using the Patriot air defense system.'
Israeli military did not comment on the type of aircraft and the circumstances of its downing, saying that the circumstances of the incident were 'unclear.'
The Syrian government confirmed that Israel shot down one of its planes. In August, Israel shot down a drone that had entered its side of the Golan Heights from Syria.
An Israeli military official identified the downed aircraft as a Sukhoi Su-24 Russian fighter plane. Previously, it was reported to have been a MiG aircraft. He said the Syrian jet penetrated 800 meters (2,600 feet) into Israeli side of Golan Hieghts and tried to return to Syria after the Patriot missile was fired.
The crew managed to abandon the plane in time and landed in Syrian territory, the Israeli official said. It was the first such incident since the war with Lebanon in 1982, the official added, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.
Israel captured the Golan Heights from Syria in the 1967 Middle East war and later annexed the strategic area in a move that has never been internationally recognized.
SH/HRGH
MNA
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