SYRIA FIRES ON ISRAELI WARPLANE

Syria fires on Israeli warplane (JTA)
Syria fired at Israeli military aircraft Syria said entered its airspace.

The incident occurred in the wee hours Thursday morning, according to the Syrian military, which said several Israeli planes flew over the country near the Turkish-Syrian border and dropped some ammunition. Other Syrian sources said four or five planes dropped fuel tanks in the Syrian desert.

The Israel Defense Forces declined to respond to the report, saying, "It is not our custom to respond to these kinds of reports." But sources told Israeli media it appeared the IDF committed an "operational mishap."

Israel's air force regular trains in Turkey, raising the possibility that a warplane or warplanes had gone off course. Israel also conducts regular reconnaissance flights over Syria.

Tensions between Israel and Syria have been high throughout the summer, with both armies conducting significant military exercises along their disputed border and leaders of the two countries trading threats.

"We warn the Israeli enemy government against this flagrant aggressive act and retain the right to respond in an appropriate way," a Syrian government spokesman said Thursday.

"The Israeli enemy aircraft infiltrated into the Arab Syrian territory through the northern border, coming from the Mediterranean heading toward the eastern region, breaking the sound barrier," he said. "Air defense units confronted them and forced them to leave after they dropped some ammunition in deserted areas without causing any human or material damage."