Syria denies shooting down Israeli scout

A Syrian air force official on Friday denied reports that Syrian air defense force had shot down an Israeli scout, the independent Syria news website reported.

The official was quoted as saying that an Israeli scout flew over the Becaa Valley on Thursday near the Syrian border and that it was Lebanese air force which opened fire at it, not Syrian air force.

The official added that the Israeli scout did not attack any air defense base in Syria.

A Lebanese paper earlier reported that Syrian air force had shot down an Israeli plane which had entered Syrian airspace and shot at Syrian bases.

Israel launched a massive offensive against Lebanese Hezbollah on July 12 after two Israeli soldiers were kidnapped by the Shiite group in a cross-border attack.

Source: Xinhua