Syria says it shot down another Israeli spy plane

Syrian forces shot down a pilotless Israeli reconnaissance plane over Lebanon Tuesday, a Syrian military spokesman said. It was the eighth such Israeli aircraft Syria has claimed to have brought down since a crisis developed in April over the deployment of Syrian SAM-6 missiles in neighboring Lebanon. Before the latest incident, Israel had admitted losing four planes. The spokesman said the plane was flying over Syrian peacekeeping forces when it was hit.

In Tel Aviv, an Israeli military spokesman denied the Syrian statement.He said the pilotless reconnaissance plane crashed due to a technical failure while on a routine flight over Lebanese te rritory.