Israel Fires Missile At Unnamed Aircraft Approaching From Syria, Second Time This Week

ISRAEL -- Israeli military launch a missile from the Iron Dome air defence system, designed to intercept and destroy incoming short-range rockets and artillery shells, from a position in the southern Israeli city of Ashkelon, May 29 2018

Israel says it fired a Patriot missile at an unmanned aircraft approaching its border from Syria, for the second time this week.

This occurs after Wednesday, when Israel launched a Patriot interceptor missile at a drone spotted approaching from Syria.

The incident set off air defense sirens on the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights and the nearby Jordanian border, the military statement said.

Israel has been on high alert as Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's forces advance against rebels near the Golan and Jordan. Israel worries that he could deploy troops or allow his Iranian and Hezbollah allies to set up emplacements near Israeli lines.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu travelled to Moscow on Wednesday for Syria talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose military is helping Assad beat back a 7-year-old insurgency.

On June 24, Israel’s military said it launched a Patriot missile at an incoming drone from Syria, which turned away unscathed. A Syrian commander said the drone was engaged in local operations.

(With reporting by AP, Reuters, writing by Dan Williams, editing by Jeffrey Heller and Peter Graff)