| Israel: the plane was not attacking Israel Syria said on Tuesday that Israel has shot down a Syrian warplane in what it described as an act of aggression - the first such incident in three decades. Israel's military stated earlier it had shot down the aircraft over the Syrian, bu Israeli-occupied, Golan Heights. Israeli military sources said the plane apparently crossed by accident into Israeli-controlled airspace over the area and was not on a mission to attack Israeli targets, Reuters reports. The Syrian-held side of the Golan heights has been the sight of fierce battles between the Syrian Government and extremist groups, including the Al Qaida affiliated Al Nusra Front, occasionally spilling over into the Israeli-held side. Syrian state TV quoted a military source saying the downing of the plane, which coincided with U.S.-led air strikes against Islamic State in Syria, came "in the framework of (Israel's) support for the terrorist (Islamic State) and the Nusra Front". Israel Radio said the downed warplane was apparently carrying out a mission against extremist rebels battling the Syrian government. Source URL |