Israeli Army Says Not Hiding Behind Civilian Aircraft While Operating in Skies Over Syria

TEV AVIV (Sputnik) - The Israeli army is not using civilian aircraft as a shield while operating in the skies over Syria, considering the safety of air traffic in the area as one of the highest priorities, a high-ranking officer told Sputnik.

"The airspace over Syria is an area of heavy air traffic. We have developed a mechanism to minimize risks. We consider the safety of both civilian and military aircraft in the area to be our highest priority. We do not use the movement of civilian aircraft as an advantage [while operating in the skies over Syria]", the officer said.

Earlier this week, Rear Adm. Vadim Kulit, deputy head of the Russian Center for the Reconciliation of Warring Parties in Syria said that four F-16 tactical fighters of the Israeli Air Force entered Syrian airspace in the US-occupied Al-Tanf zone in Homs Province and struck a phosphate ore processing plant in the Palmyra region.

The Syrian military, however, decided not to use air defence systems, since there were two civil aircraft in the affected area.