"Reports of downing an Iranian drone flying over Israel and also Iran's involvement in attacking an Israeli jet are so ridiculous… Iran only provides military advice to Syria," TV quoted Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qasemi as saying.
Syrian news agency SANA, citing a military source, reported that the Israeli Air Force planes attacked the military targets of the Syrian army in the central part of the country.
READ MORE: Syrian Air Defense Systems Repel Yet Another Israeli Attack — Reports
According to the Israeli army, its helicopter downed an Iranian drone after which Israeli fighter jets struck Iranian targets in Syria, prompting fire from the Syrian air defense systems.
As a result of the incident, one Israeli F-16 fighter jet came down in northern Israel with pilots able to eject.
"The IDF is striking numerous (12) Syrian and Iranian military targets in Syria, in response to Iranian aggression," IDF spokesman Jonathan Conricus said on Twitter.
The Israeli aviation authorities said that they closed the airspace over a significant part of the country. Tel Aviv International Airport named after David Ben-Gurion is working normally, although in the morning, in the midst of the events, several planes were detained for 15-20 minutes.
Russia expressed concern over the Israeli army's airstrikes on Syria.