Israeli drone strike leaves civilian dead in southern Syria

This file pictures shows an Israeli Eitan (Heron TP) unmanned aerial vehicle. (Photo by Times of Israel)

A so-called monitoring group says at least one civilian has lost his life after an Israeli unmanned combat aerial vehicle carried out an attack in Syria’s southern province of Quneitra.

The drone targeted a vehicle as it was travelling along a road linking Khan Arnabah town to the capital city of Damascus on Sunday, leaving the occupant dead, the so-called Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported.

Local sources identified the victims as Yasser al-Sayyed.

Syria’s al-Masdar news agency later published a photo of Sayyed’s black sport utility vehicle damaged in the Israeli drone strike.

The development came two days after the Syrian army announced in a statement that four Israeli fighter jets had violated the Arab country’s airspace, adding its air defense had shot down one of the military aircraft and hit another. 

The Israeli warplanes entered the Syrian skies at 2:40 a.m. local time (0040 GMT) on Friday via Lebanese territory, and hit a military target on the way to the ancient Semitic city of Palmyra.

"Our air defense engaged them and shot down one warplane over occupied territory, hit another one, and forced the rest to flee," the Syrian army said, apparently referring to the Golan Heights.  

The Syrian army also slammed Tel Aviv’s strikes as “an act of aggression” meant to assist the Takfiri Daesh terror group.

Syrian army regains control of new areas in Palmyra

Meanwhile, Syrian army units have regained control of an area north of al-Mazar Mountains in the northern countryside of Palmyra, destroying a number of Daesh positions there.

Later, Syrian government forces and allied fighters from popular defense groups retook Talila Heights, situated 20 kilometers southeast of Palmyra, from Daesh militants.

An army unit also destroyed a large ammunition depot for Jabhat al-Nusra terrorists in Deir Ful village northeast of Homs.

This file photo taken on December 14, 2016 shows Syrian government forces advancing during a military operation in the northern city of Aleppo. (Photo by AFP)

Elsewhere, in Salamiyah city, located 33 kilometers southeast of Hama, Syrian soldiers carried out a military offensive against Deash Takfiris, destroying a truck loaded with munitions.

An unnamed source said the ammunition in the truck caused a massive explosion, killing all terrorists on board.

Syrian army soldiers and pro-government forces also freed al-Sharima village in the northern province of Aleppo following bitter clashes with Daesh militants.

Syria has been gripped by foreign-backed militancy since March 2011. United Nations Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura estimates that over 400,000 people have been killed in the conflict.