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Israeli fighters down UAV over Gaza

The drone was shot down because it was flying at an altitude of 12,000 feet, much higher than authorized in that airspace, according to the IDF.

An Israeli F-15I fighter jet releases flares during a graduation ceremony of new Israeli Air Force pilots at the Hatzerim Air Force base near the southern city of Beersheba, Dec. 27, 2012. Photo by Flash90.
An Israeli F-15I fighter jet releases flares during a graduation ceremony of new Israeli Air Force pilots at the Hatzerim Air Force base near the southern city of Beersheba, Dec. 27, 2012. Photo by Flash90.

Israeli fighter jets were scrambled late Tuesday afternoon to intercept an unauthorized Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) over the Gaza Strip, the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit reported.

The interception was ordered because the UAV was flying at the very unusual altitude of four kilometers (some 12,000 feet).

Tuesday’s drone interception was not the first such incident. On Oct. 17, military personnel intercepted a drone en route to Israeli airspace from Gaza before it crossed the border fence.

This article first appeared in Israel Hayom.

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