After F-16 crash, Israel launches strikes in Syria, hits Iranian targets

Israel launched heavy air strikes in Syria on Saturday, saying it hit air defences and Iranian targets, and the Syrian army claimed to have brought down an Israeli F-16 that crashed in northern Israel in a major escalation of tension.
 
The Israeli military said early assessments indicated the jet had been shot down by Syrian fire, but this was still unconfirmed.
 
It marked the most serious confrontation yet in Syria between Israel and Iranian and Iran-backed forces that have established a major foothold in the country while fighting in support of President Bashar al-Assad in the civil war.