Israel intercepts drones and cruise missiles from Iraq over Golan Heights, another drone near Arava

Alongside the heavy rocket barrages from Hezbollah overnight, Israel also intercepted several attack drones apparently launched by Iranian-backed Shiite militias in Iraq. 

After air raid sirens were activated in the southern Golan Heights Sunday morning, the IDF reported that IAF fighters intercepted a suspicious aerial target that crossed from the east. 

Alarms were activated for fear of interceptor fragments falling, the military said. There were no reported damages or casualties from the incident. 

“Following the sirens that sounded a short while ago in the area of the southern Golan Heights, multiple suspicious aerial targets approached Israel from the direction of Iraq. The targets were intercepted, and no injuries were reported,” the statement said. “The targets did not cross into Israeli territory, sirens sounded according to protocol.” 

Shortly after the interception, the Iran-backed Islamic Resistance in Iraq, a Shiite militia claimed to have launched the drone at an IDF base in Israel’s north. 

Earlier in the morning, the military downed to cruise missiles headed towards Israeli territory also from Iraq according to public broadcaster Kan news. The IDF said that both the cruise missiles and the drone were intercepted outside of Israeli airspace. 

Later Sunday morning, the IDF also announced the interception of an additional drone headed towards Israel’s southern Arava region. 

An IDF spokesperson said: “Following the hostile aircraft infiltration sirens that sounded in the Arava area, a suspicious aerial target was identified approaching Israeli territory from the east. The target was intercepted, and no injuries were reported. The target did not cross into the territory of the country, sirens were activated according to protocol.” 

Saudi news channel al-Hadath reported that the "suspicious aerial target" Israel intercepted was a ballistic missile fired at Eilat from Iraq by Iranian-backed groups.

The drone launches towards Israel from Shiite militias in Iraq appears to indicate a serious escalation of the conflict by Iranian-backed proxies as Israel is under increasing pressure from Western nations over its war efforts against Hamas and Hezbollah. 

Around 10:30 in the morning, the IDF announced that it downed another “suspicious aerial target from the east” which did manage to cross into Israeli airspace. 

“Following the sirens that sounded in the southern Golan area, the IAF successfully intercepted a suspicious aerial target that crossed into Israeli territory from the east. Rocket and missile sirens sounded following the possibility of fallen shrapnel from the interception. No damage or injuries were reported.” 

The IAF also announced that it struck dozens of Hezbollah terror targets, including launchers and military structures in dozens of areas in southern Lebanon following this morning’s massive rocket barrage into Israel’s northern communities.