Tehran Rejects Israeli Claim of Downing Iranian Drone as ‘Ridiculous’
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qassemi dismissed as “ridiculous” the Israeli regime’s claim on Saturday that it had intercepted an Iranian drone launched from Syria.
"The claim about the flight of an Iranian drone and Iran’s involvement in the downing of a Zionist fighter jet is so ridiculous that it does not merit a comment,” Qassemi said on Saturday.
“This is because the Islamic Republic of Iran has advisory presence in Syria at the request of the country’s legitimate and lawful government,” he added.
He further defended the Syrian army’s reaction to Israel, and said, “The government and army of Syria, as an independent country, have a legitimate right to defend (the country’s) territorial integrity and counter any kind of foreign aggression.”
His comments came after reports of downing of an Israeli warplane by the Syrian Arab Army.
An Israeli F-16 fighter jet was shot down by Syrian military on Saturday while targeting what it called Iranian sites responsible for launching a drone into occupied Golan Heights.
Pro-government military alliance in Syria said in a statement on Saturday that Israel would see a severe and serious response to its "terrorism" from now on.
The statement also said the drones -one of which Israel claims to have shot down- were being used against Daesh (ISIL) terrorist group.