SYRIAN air defences shot down an Israeli drone over the occupied Golan Heights in the early hours of today, military sources confirmed.

Footage showed what appeared to be a drone falling from the sky after being struck by an anti-aircraft missile.

The Israeli military, which rarely confirms such incidents, asserted that a reconnaissance drone had crashed as a result of a technical malfunction during “routine operational activity.”

Tel Aviv has launched repeated missile attacks, claiming to target Syrian military sites and Hezbollah bases inside the country.

The Lebanese Shi’ite movement has forces in Syria at the invitation of the country’s government as part of Damascus’s fight against Isis and other jihadist groups.

Syria has written to the United Nations demanding that it takes action to stop Israeli aggression, with critics saying that Tel Aviv’s air strikes breach international law.

Lebanon has also complained of violations of its territory after Israeli rockets were fired across its airspace, threatening regional stability.