IDF drone crashes in southern Syria

After an Israeli Skylark UAV crashed near the Syrian town of Hader on Tuesday, the IDF announced that no sensitive information was compromised.

By: World Israel News Staff

On Tuesday evening, the IDF communicated that one of its Skylark reconnaissance drones crashed in Syrian territory near the Druze village of Hader.

While Syrian sources in the Quneitra area claimed the UAV was downed, the IDF announced that the cause of the drone’s landing was a technical problem. Israeli sources confirmed that there was no risk that sensitive information had been comprised.

The Skylark, known as the “sky rider” in Hebrew, is one of Elbit System’s tactical surveillance drones and can be launched by one or two people. The drone is capable of providing a live video feed to soldiers back on the ground.

The incident on Tuesday follows seven previous drone crashes since January 2017, with the IDF launching an investigation in September related to two drones that crashed in Samaria.

In another incident, a drone crashed in southern Lebanon, with IDF forces quickly recovering the aircraft.

Other drone crashes have occurred in Gaza, including an August 2015 incident in which the Hamas terror group claimed to have retrieved and reassembled the aircraft.

In August 2016, an experimental Israel Aerospace Industries drone crashed in the northern village of Zalafa, causing minor injuries 25 people.

In May 2018, Palestinians flew a booby-trapped drone into Israel, in a failed attempt to target IDF forces and Israeli citizens with an aircraft that failed to detonate or explode.

The drone infiltrated Israeli airspace, landing in the Sha’ar Ha’Negev municipality area.