[Jpost] Why did an antiquated Syrian air defense system fire at an Israeli jet?Israel said a Syrian anti-aircraft system fired at an IDF fighter jet on Monday night. Israel responded by targeting the launcher that had shot at the plane. This is the very simple and clear statement that was released. It also said the Israeli jet that had been fired upon was on a routine flight in northern Israel.
Syrian sources have reported the launcher which was hit ‐ somewhere in the Khan Arnabeh and Quneitra area ‐ was a Syrian ZSU-34-4 Shilka and the soldiers manning it were from the 121st brigade of the Syrian army. The main difference between the various Shilka models is the size of the guns on it, or caliber. For instance, the ZSU-23-4 Shilka, which entered service in 1962, had four 23 mm. auto-cannons with radar guidance.