AFP: Syria fires on Israeli war planes

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AFP: Syria fires on Israeli war planes

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Tension between Syria and Israel may increase by miscalculation! 

3 hours ago

DAMASCUS (AFP) — Syria said its air defences opened fire on Israeli warplanes which had violated Syrian airspace at dawn on Thursday, ratcheting up the tensions between the neighbouring foes.

A Syrian cabinet minister warned that the nation's leadership was considering its response to the Israeli "aggression" while in Jerusalem the military declined any comment.

"Enemy Israeli planes penetrated Syrian airspace from the Mediterranean Sea heading towards the northeast, breaking the sound barrier," a Syrian army spokesman told the official SANA news agency.

"Our air defences repulsed them and forced them to leave...after the Israeli planes dropped munitions, without causing human or material loss," he said, without giving further information on what exactly was dropped.

Syria's allegations came amid a war of words with Israel, with each blaming the other for stoking regional tensions and for the failure to revive peace talks that have been stalled for seven years.

Information Minister Mohsen Bilal told pan-Arab satellite television Al-Jazeera that Syria's leadership was "giving serious consideration to its response... to this aggression."

In Jerusalem, the Israeli military refused to comment on Syria's claims, saying: "We do not comment on such reports."

Another Syrian minister admitted to Al-Jazeera's English-language channel that it remained unclear whether the Israeli aircraft had actually carried out an attack, see here.

DAMASCUS (Reuters) - Syria accused Israel of infiltrating its airspace and bombing its territory on Thursday and warned it could respond.

The Israeli military said it would make no comment on the report, which spoke of no casualties or damage being caused.

After months in which talk of reviving long-stalled peace negotiations has mingled with speculation on both sides that the other was preparing a surprise attack, Syrian officials hit out.

"This shows that Israel cannot give up aggression and treachery," Syrian Information Minister Mohsen Bilal told al-Jazeera television.

Another Syrian official said: "They dropped bombs on an empty area while our air defenses were firing heavily at them."

The Israeli military spokesman's office said in a statement: "It is not our custom to respond to these kinds of reports."

UPDATE.

Syria protests violation of airspace by Israel
22:06|06/ 09/ 2007
 DAMASCUS, September 6 (RIA Novosti) - Syria has condemned the
violation of its airspace and the launching of rockets by Israeli
aircraft, a government official said Thursday.
"Syria regards the violation of its airspace by the Israeli Air Force
and the air strikes against Syrian territory as provocation, and
reserves the right to an appropriate response," the SANA news agency
quoted him as saying.

Some experts said the incident has set the stage for a war between the
two countries, see here.