The Israeli air force struck in Syria to prevent an Iranian force from launching an attack on the Jewish state with drones armed with explosives, the army said Sunday.

The Israeli air force struck in Syria to prevent an Iranian force from launching an attack on the Jewish state with drones armed with explosives, the army said Sunday. While Israel operates regularly in Syria, it rarely acknowledges its actions so swiftly, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warning arch-foe Iran it had no immunity from his state's military. In a briefing to reporters, military spokesman Jonathan Conricus said that late Saturday the Israeli air force "was able to thwart an Iranian attempt led by the Quds force from Syria to conduct an attack on Israeli targets in northern Israel using killer drones." According to Conricus, the Israeli attack took place in Aqraba, southeast of Damascus, and targeted "several terror targets and military facilities belonging to the Quds force as well as Shiite militias." The army had on Thursday prevented an earlier attempt to launch the drone attack, Conricus said, without providing further details. "The threat was significant and these killer drones were capable of striking targets with significant capacity," he said. A Syrian military source quoted by official Sana news agency said that "At 2330 (2030 GMT) anti-aircraft defences detected enemy targets from Golan heading towards the area around Damascus". "The aggression was immediately confronted and so far the majority of the enemy Israeli missiles have been destroyed before reaching their targets," the source added. 'Iran has no immunity anywhere' A correspondent in Damascus heard several large explosions before Sana announced the defensive action. "The aggression is still going on and the air defence can counter the targets, dropping most of them" in the south of the country, the Sana agency said early Sunday. Since the beginning of the war in Syria in 2011, Israel has conducted hundreds of strikes in Syria, most of them against what it says are Iranian and Hezbollah targets. Hezbollah is a Lebanese Shiite group that supports Syria's President Bashar al-Assad, who is also backed by Tehran. Hours after the strike in Syria, a Hezbollah official said one drone had come down and another had exploded in one of the group's strongholds in the Lebanese capital Beirut. The official could not confirm if the drones were Israeli or if they had been shot down by Hezbollah. Israel says it is determined to prevent its arch-foe Iran from entrenching itself militarily in Syria, where Tehran backs Assad's regime. In a statement issued just minutes after the Israeli army announced its attack, Netanyahu hailed the military's "major operational effort" in thwarting the attack planned by "the Iranian Quds force and Shiite militias." "Iran has no immunity anywhere," Netanyahu said. "Our forces operate in every sector against Iranian aggression." Military spokesman Conricus said Israel held both Iran and the Syrian regime responsible for the planned drone attack, noting that forces in northern Israel were on "elevated readiness to respond to any development". He also noted that while Iranian forces had launched rockets and missiles at Israel from Syria three times during 2018, the use of "kamikaze" drones set to explode on their targets was a new and "different tactic". The Jewish state insists that it has the right to continue to target positions held by Iran and its ally Hezbollah out of self-defence.

Israeli jets hit targets in Syria to prevent Iranian drone attack: army

Israel said Sunday it had <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/israel-conducts-air-strike-against-iranian-weapons-depot-in-syria-190012">uncovered all cross-border attack tunnels</a> dug by Hezbollah from Lebanon and will bring its operation to find and destroy them to an end after more than a month.

The operation which began on December 4 had raised concerns that Hezbollah, the Lebanon-based Shiite group and enemy of Israel, would respond and spark a new conflict between them, but the border has remained calm throughout.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/israel-retaliates-after-rocket-fired-into-gaza-army-189938">An Israeli military</a> spokesman declined to say how many tunnels had been discovered in total, but the army has announced six since the operation was launched.

The last tunnel was exposed on Saturday, the army said.

"We have found yet another Hezbollah cross-border attack tunnel from Lebanon to Israel," Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Conricus told reporters.

"According to our intelligence and our assessment of the situation, there are no longer any cross-border attack tunnels from Lebanon into Israel."

The latest tunnel began in the Lebanese village of Ramyeh, some 800 metres (yards) away from Israel, the army said.

It reached a few dozen metres into Israel, and at 55 metres underground was the deepest as well as "the longest and most detailed" of all the tunnels the army exposed, Conricus said.

The army said its discovery marked the end of the operation that it called "Northern Shield" and that the last tunnel will be destroyed in the coming days.

'Achieved the goal'&nbsp;

The tunnels are being destroyed either with explosives or by filling them with a cement-like material to make them unusable.

"We have achieved the goal (to expose and destroy the tunnels from Lebanon) which we set out to achieve at the beginning," Conricus said.

Conricus said there were no more tunnels reaching Israel from Lebanon but the army was still monitoring "facilities" being dug by Hezbollah inside Lebanese territory.

He also reiterated that Israel holds the Lebanese government accountable "for any act of violence or violation of 1701," the UN resolution that ended the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah.

UNIFIL, the UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon, was informed of the latest tunnel, Conricus said.

Israel alleges Hezbollah had planned to use the tunnels to kidnap or kill its civilians or soldiers, and to seize a slice of Israeli territory in the event of any hostilities. It has said, however, that they were not yet operational.

A month-long war in 2006 between Israel and Hezbollah killed more than 1,200 Lebanese, mostly civilians, and more than 160 Israelis, mostly soldiers.

Israel says all anti-tunnel operations have taken place within its territory, and the highly publicised mission has gone ahead without drawing a military response from Hezbollah.

The announcement that the operation is ending comes as military chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot steps down at the end of his term.

Israeli analysts see the operation as one of Eisenkot's important achievements. 
&nbsp;

An Israeli military spokesman declined to say how many tunnels had been discovered in total, but the army has announced six since the operation was launched.

Israel said Sunday it had uncovered all cross-border attack tunnels dug by Hezbollah from Lebanon and will bring its operation to find and destroy them to an end after more than a month. The operation which began on December 4 had raised concerns that Hezbollah, the Lebanon-based Shiite group and enemy of Israel, would respond and spark a new conflict between them, but the border has remained calm throughout. An Israeli military spokesman declined to say how many tunnels had been discovered in total, but the army has announced six since the operation was launched. The last tunnel was exposed on Saturday, the army said. "We have found yet another Hezbollah cross-border attack tunnel from Lebanon to Israel," Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Conricus told reporters. "According to our intelligence and our assessment of the situation, there are no longer any cross-border attack tunnels from Lebanon into Israel." The latest tunnel began in the Lebanese village of Ramyeh, some 800 metres (yards) away from Israel, the army said. It reached a few dozen metres into Israel, and at 55 metres underground was the deepest as well as "the longest and most detailed" of all the tunnels the army exposed, Conricus said. The army said its discovery marked the end of the operation that it called "Northern Shield" and that the last tunnel will be destroyed in the coming days. 'Achieved the goal' The tunnels are being destroyed either with explosives or by filling them with a cement-like material to make them unusable. "We have achieved the goal (to expose and destroy the tunnels from Lebanon) which we set out to achieve at the beginning," Conricus said. Conricus said there were no more tunnels reaching Israel from Lebanon but the army was still monitoring "facilities" being dug by Hezbollah inside Lebanese territory. He also reiterated that Israel holds the Lebanese government accountable "for any act of violence or violation of 1701," the UN resolution that ended the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah. UNIFIL, the UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon, was informed of the latest tunnel, Conricus said. Israel alleges Hezbollah had planned to use the tunnels to kidnap or kill its civilians or soldiers, and to seize a slice of Israeli territory in the event of any hostilities. It has said, however, that they were not yet operational. A month-long war in 2006 between Israel and Hezbollah killed more than 1,200 Lebanese, mostly civilians, and more than 160 Israelis, mostly soldiers. Israel says all anti-tunnel operations have taken place within its territory, and the highly publicised mission has gone ahead without drawing a military response from Hezbollah. The announcement that the operation is ending comes as military chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot steps down at the end of his term. Israeli analysts see the operation as one of Eisenkot's important achievements.

Israel says all Hezbollah cross-border tunnels found

Israeli jets struck the Gaza Strip on Saturday after four soldiers were wounded when an improvised explosive device blew up along the border with the Palestinian enclave.

The explosion earlier Saturday, which left two of the Israeli soldiers severely injured, was one of the most serious incidents on the border of the Hamas-ruled enclave since the Islamist movement and Israel fought a war in 2014.

In response Israel&#39;s army said &quot;fighter jets targeted six military targets in Gaza belonging to Hamas, including: a terror tunnel in the Zaytun area and military compounds near Deir el-Balah and Khan Yunis&quot;.

The army then reported a &quot;launch was identified from the Gaza Strip at Israeli territory&quot;.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at a security conference in Munich called the Gaza border incident &quot;very serious&quot; and pledged to &quot;respond appropriately&quot;.&nbsp;

A Palestinian security source said the Israeli air strikes hit three bases belonging to Hamas in the east of the blockaded Gaza enclave.

Two Palestinians were injured in the raids, Palestinian medical sources said.&nbsp;

Earlier in the day the army said &quot;two soldiers were severely wounded, one moderately and one slightly&quot; when an improvised explosive device blew up along the border fence with Gaza.

None of the soldiers&#39; lives were in danger, a spokesman clarified.

In response Israeli forces said a tank quickly opened fire at an &quot;observation post&quot; in southern Gaza, causing no injuries on the Palestinian side.

Palestinian security sources said the explosion took place east of the city of Khan Yunis.

Rogue group

Spokesman Jonathan Conricus said a &quot;rogue group&quot; had claimed responsibility for the blast, likely indicating one of the more radical Islamist groups who are present in Gaza.&nbsp;

But he insisted that &quot;from our point of view Hamas is responsible&quot; and said the explosive had been planted during a protest arranged by the group on Friday.&nbsp;

Israel holds the Islamist Palestinian movement Hamas responsible for any fire coming from the blockaded coastal enclave.

The Israeli army responds automatically to any strikes on its territory, generally targeting Hamas facilities.

Hamas&#39;s armed wing, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, in a statement said they had fired at the Israeli jets overhead.

But Israeli army spokesman, Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Conricus, said there was no truth to the claim.

Hamas and Israel have fought three wars since 2008, and the last conflict in 2014 was waged in part over tunnels from Gaza that were used to launch attacks.

Israeli aircraft hit Hamas targets in the southern Gaza Strip repeatedly in early February, after it said Palestinians there fired a rocket into the Jewish state.

Tensions between the Palestinians and Israel have been high since US President Donald Trump recognised Jerusalem as the capital of the Jewish state in December.

Netanyahu will visit the White House next month, a senior US administration official told AFP on Friday.

The March 5 visit comes after a war of words between close allies Israel and the US over settlements, and a scandal that has seen police recommend Netanyahu be indicted for graft.

Two of the soldiers were severely injured

Israeli jets struck the Gaza Strip on Saturday after four soldiers were wounded when an improvised explosive device blew up along the border with the Palestinian enclave. The explosion earlier Saturday, which left two of the Israeli soldiers severely injured, was one of the most serious incidents on the border of the Hamas-ruled enclave since the Islamist movement and Israel fought a war in 2014. In response Israel's army said "fighter jets targeted six military targets in Gaza belonging to Hamas, including: a terror tunnel in the Zaytun area and military compounds near Deir el-Balah and Khan Yunis". The army then reported a "launch was identified from the Gaza Strip at Israeli territory". Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at a security conference in Munich called the Gaza border incident "very serious" and pledged to "respond appropriately". A Palestinian security source said the Israeli air strikes hit three bases belonging to Hamas in the east of the blockaded Gaza enclave. Two Palestinians were injured in the raids, Palestinian medical sources said. Earlier in the day the army said "two soldiers were severely wounded, one moderately and one slightly" when an improvised explosive device blew up along the border fence with Gaza. None of the soldiers' lives were in danger, a spokesman clarified. In response Israeli forces said a tank quickly opened fire at an "observation post" in southern Gaza, causing no injuries on the Palestinian side. Palestinian security sources said the explosion took place east of the city of Khan Yunis. Rogue group Spokesman Jonathan Conricus said a "rogue group" had claimed responsibility for the blast, likely indicating one of the more radical Islamist groups who are present in Gaza. But he insisted that "from our point of view Hamas is responsible" and said the explosive had been planted during a protest arranged by the group on Friday. Israel holds the Islamist Palestinian movement Hamas responsible for any fire coming from the blockaded coastal enclave. The Israeli army responds automatically to any strikes on its territory, generally targeting Hamas facilities. Hamas's armed wing, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, in a statement said they had fired at the Israeli jets overhead. But Israeli army spokesman, Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Conricus, said there was no truth to the claim. Hamas and Israel have fought three wars since 2008, and the last conflict in 2014 was waged in part over tunnels from Gaza that were used to launch attacks. Israeli aircraft hit Hamas targets in the southern Gaza Strip repeatedly in early February, after it said Palestinians there fired a rocket into the Jewish state. Tensions between the Palestinians and Israel have been high since US President Donald Trump recognised Jerusalem as the capital of the Jewish state in December. Netanyahu will visit the White House next month, a senior US administration official told AFP on Friday. The March 5 visit comes after a war of words between close allies Israel and the US over settlements, and a scandal that has seen police recommend Netanyahu be indicted for graft.

Israeli jets hit Gaza after IED wounds four soldiers

An Israeli F16 fighter jet crashed in Israel Saturday as the air force was carrying out attacks against &quot;Iranian targets&quot; in Syria after intercepting a drone, a spokesman said.

&quot;IDF (Israel Defence Force) has targeted the Iranian control systems in Syria that sent the UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) into Israeli airspace. Massive Syrian anti-air fire, one F16 crashed in Israel, pilots safe,&quot; Israeli military spokesman Lieutenant Jonathan Conricus wrote on Twitter.

According to a separate military statement, Israeli forces had identified an &quot;Iranian UAV&quot; launched from Syria and intercepted it in Israeli airspace with a combat helicopter.

Police said the F16 crashed in the Jezreel valley in northern Israel.

&quot;Iran is responsible for this severe violation of Israeli sovereignty,&quot; Conricus said on Twitter.

According to a separate military statement, Israeli forces had identified an 'Iranian UAV' launched from Syria and intercepted it in Israeli airspace with a combat helicopter

An Israeli F16 fighter jet crashed in Israel Saturday as the air force was carrying out attacks against "Iranian targets" in Syria after intercepting a drone, a spokesman said. "IDF (Israel Defence Force) has targeted the Iranian control systems in Syria that sent the UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) into Israeli airspace. Massive Syrian anti-air fire, one F16 crashed in Israel, pilots safe," Israeli military spokesman Lieutenant Jonathan Conricus wrote on Twitter. According to a separate military statement, Israeli forces had identified an "Iranian UAV" launched from Syria and intercepted it in Israeli airspace with a combat helicopter. Police said the F16 crashed in the Jezreel valley in northern Israel. "Iran is responsible for this severe violation of Israeli sovereignty," Conricus said on Twitter.

Israel jet crashes after 'Iranian targets' attacked in Syria