JERUSALEM, March 4 (Xinhua) -- The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said on Wednesday that its air force shot down an Iranian fighter jet over Tehran as part of an ongoing U.S.-Israeli operation in Iran.
In a statement, the IDF described the downing of the Iranian YAK-130 as a "historic first," marking the first time a fighter jet of this specific type has been shot down in combat anywhere in the world.
The last time the Israeli air force shot down another enemy fighter jet was back in 1985, when an Israeli F-15 jet shot down two Syrian MiG-23s during an air battle over Lebanon, according to Israel's state-owned Kan TV News.
In a separate statement, the IDF reported that its air force successfully targeted and thwarted Iranian air defense operatives "as they attempted to operate systems against the IDF."
During the military conflict, Iranian media reported that local air defense systems shot down an Israeli fighter jet. However, there has been no official confirmation regarding this report. ■
