Israel has vowed to defend itself “against any attack” after it carried out its ”largest” strikes against sites in Syria in decades.

The Israeli military launched raids against Iranian targets after alleging it had intercepted an Iranian drone crossing the Syria-Israel border.

But Iran has denied the allegation.

According to reports, during the offensive an Israeli F-16 fighter jet was shot down by Syria air defences and landed in northern Israel.

Israel had not lost a jet in the Syrian conflict.

And the country’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, warned that Israel’s policy to defend itself against “any attempt to harm our sovereignty” was “absolutely clear”.

“Iran brazenly violated Israel’s sovereignty,” he said.

“They dispatched an Iranian drone from Syrian territory into Israel… Israel holds Iran and its Syrian hosts responsible.”