An Israeli Air Force F-15 fighter jet flies during an aerial demonstration. (photo credit: AMIR COHEN – REUTERS)
On June 1, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) announced that it had intercepted an Egyptian drone over the southern Negev desert.
In a statement, the IDF said that the drone, which was not armed, was shot down by fighter jets from the Israeli Air Force on May 30 near Mount Sagi, situated only a few kilometers from the border with Egypt. According to the army, the drone was monitored as it crossed into Israeli airspace.
A source in the IDF told the Israeli media that the drone was launched by the Egyptian military to monitor ISIS terrorists in the Sinai Peninsula. However, the drone ran into technical problems causing the operators to lose contact as it accidentally entered Israeli airspace.
According to the unnamed source, the drone was shot down in coordination with Egypt. The incident is currently being investigated.
The Egyptian military has been battling a terrorist insurgency in Sinai since 2011. ISIS, which led the insurgency after its rise in 2014, claimed on several occasions that the Israel is supporting Egyptian military operations in the peninsula. While Cairo deny receiving any Israeli military support, President Abdel Fattah el‑Sisi admitted on one occasion that there is a certain level of coordination with Tel Aviv.
The incident came as the IDF was on high alert as a result of threats by Iran in response to the May 22 assassination of Quds Force Colonel Hassan Sayad Khodayari in Tehran and the May 25 deadly explosion at Parchin military complex near the Iranian capital.
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Well it wasn’t an Act of God.