Syria’s army said Friday it shot down an Israeli plane that had been carrying out pre-dawn raids on a military target near Palmyra.

“Four Israeli planes penetrated our air space at 2:40 am (0040 GMT) via Lebanese territory and hit a military target on the way to Palmyra,” the army said in a statement carried by state news agency SANA.

“Our air defense engaged them and shot down one warplane over occupied territory, hit another one and forced the rest to flee,” it added.

“This flagrant attack is part of the Zionist enemy’s persistent efforts to support the terrorist gangs of Daesh,” the Syrian army said, using an Arabic acronym for the ISIL Takfiri group.

“It will be responded to directly with all possible means,” it added.

The Syrian army recaptured Palmyra from ISIL on March 2, three months after losing it to the Takfiris for a second time. Syrian troops backed by Russian forces had first retaken it in March last year.

Source: Agencies