FIRST LOSS IN 35 YEARS: Video Captures the Exact Moment an Israeli Fighter Jet Was Shot down by Hezbollah Terrorists

Israel’s military on Sunday confirmed that its downed F-16 fighter jet had been hit by a Syrian antiaircraft missile — the first plane it has lost to enemy fire in more than 35 years.



The Israel Defense Forces had been investigating whether the plane that crashed in Israel on Saturday after carrying out a bombing raid inside Syria had suffered a direct hit, had been struck by shrapnel or had crashed after its pilots ejected under fire.



“Our preliminary understanding is that the plane crashed due to a ground-to-air missile,” said IDF spokesman Lt. Col. Jonathan Cornicus said Sunday. “It was hit.” The jet was one of eight planes carrying out a raid inside Syria to bomb the T4 air base near Palmyra, after the Israeli military said an Iranian drone operated from the base had crossed into Israel.



The Israeli military has said the drone was on a “mission” but has not given further details or commented on whether the drone was armed. Iran has dismissed the claim as “ridiculous.”



Israel has not lost a plane in combat since 1982, when one of its jets was also brought down by the Syrians. After the jet was downed on Saturday, Israel embarked on its most extensive bombing campaign inside the country since that year, when it moved to destroy Syria’s antiaircraft capacity.