Israeli F-15 fighter jet IDF air force
© Amir Cohen / ReutersAn Israeli F-15 fighter jet at a military exercise. May 16, 2017
The Russian military thanked Israel for foiling a daring ISIS plot in Syria. The militants attempted to lure the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) into striking Syrian government troops, but Israel did not fall for it.

Moscow "thanked the IDF leadership" for effectively destroying Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS) targets and "preventing a large-scale provocation" staged by the militants, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Wednesday. The militants attempted to trick Israel into striking the Syrian Army.

Earlier that day, the IDF had confirmed striking targets in Syria's southwestern Quneitra province, which borders Israel. The army said two rockets were launched over the Golan Heights from Syrian territory, and later identified the incident as "errant fire from the internal fighting in Syria." In response, the IDF conducted an airstrike on the launcher which fired the rockets, and shelled the surrounding area with artillery.


This was the second incident on the Israeli-Syrian border this week. On Tuesday, the IDF fired two Patriot missiles at a Syrian Air Force jet it said violated Israel's airspace.