Israeli fighter jets on Monday destroyed a Syrian SA-5 anti-aircraft battery east of Damascus, after the missile defense system had fired at Israeli reconnaissance planes conducting routine flights in Lebanese airspace.
It reportedly follows numerous unpublicized instances in which Israeli military aircraft were similarly targeted, as well as a close-call episode in March when a Syrian government military installation launched three projectiles at Israeli jets tasked with striking a Hezbollah arms convoy destined for Lebanon"We see [President Bashar al-Assad] as responsible and see these missiles as a clear Syrian provocation—it will not be accepted," an Israeli army spokesman asserted following the latest incident. He stressed that while the Jewish state has no intention of becoming enmeshed in the Syrian conflict, the Israel Defense Forces will nevertheless respond to all direct hostilities against it.
For its part, the Assad regime warned of "harsh consequences to Israel's repeated aggressive attempts."
Excerpted by Mod2
http://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/Discussing-red-lines-Israel-hedges-military-options-in-Syria-507720
