IDF Intercepts Hezbollah Drone with Patriot Missile

JERUSALEM, Israel – The IDF launched a Patriot missile Tuesday afternoon to intercept a Hezbollah drone launched from Syria before it entered Israeli airspace.

"The UAV belongs to the Hezbollah terror organization and was most likely on a reconnaissance mission," the IDF said in a statement. "The UAV fell in the demilitarized zone between Israel and Syria," referring to the area near the Syrian town of Quneitra.

The IDF monitored the drone's launch from Damascus International Airport, identifying it as an Iranian-made UAV.

IDF spokesman Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus said, "The IDF will not allow any breach of Israeli sovereignty or any hostile attempts by organizations like Hezbollah, the Islamic Jihad, Iranian terror organizations and Shia militias to harm the Israel state and its citizens and will respond swiftly and forcefully to any such attempts."

Following the attempted infiltration, the IDF Northern Command was put on high alert status.