Syrian Defense Ministry Denies Report of Fighter Jets Flying Over Country

Reports claiming two Syrian fighter jets took to the skies for the first time since December 8, 2024, have been officially denied by a source within the Syrian Defense Ministry. Speaking to the Syrian newspaper "Al-Watan," the source labeled the news as entirely false, stressing that the air force is not in an operational state.

Social media platforms and various media outlets had circulated video footage purportedly showing two warplanes, which they identified as belonging to the Syrian army and being of the MiG-29 model. These sources claimed it was the first time fighter jets had flown over Syria since the fall of the Assad regime.

Israeli Military Operations After Regime Change

Immediately following the collapse of the Assad government, the Israeli military launched "Operation Arrow of Bashan." Israel stated that the operation destroyed approximately 80% of Syria's strategic military capabilities, including aircraft, helicopters, tanks, and naval vessels. Concurrently, Israeli forces moved to occupy key strategic positions on Mount Hermon and in southern Syria.

This occurred alongside an announcement by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declaring the collapse of the 1974 Separation of Forces Agreement, which had kept the Syrian-Israeli conflict in a state of neither war nor peace for five decades.

Israel justified its operation at the time by citing fears that these military assets could fall into the hands of opposition forces, whose future intentions were unknown. Israeli intelligence signals indicated the decision followed decades of intelligence assessments.

The Israeli military acknowledged destroying squadrons of fighter jets and bombers at several Syrian military airbases. It also confirmed that the majority of attacks severely damaged Syria's air defense system, destroying more than 90% of strategic surface-to-air missiles, effectively putting the Syrian air force out of service permanently.

Before 2011, Syria's air and air defense forces consisted of two air divisions with a total of 450 fighter and bomber aircraft, 200 helicopters, plus training and reconnaissance planes, and two air defense divisions equipped with various types of missiles and anti-aircraft weapons.