Major A. and IAF commander Amikam Norkin
Major A. and IAF commander Amikam NorkinIDF Spokesperson's Unit

Major A., the navigator who was injured after his plane was shot down by a Syrian anti-aircraft missile a week and a half ago, has returned to his squadron. The commander of the Israel Air Force (IAF), Major General Amikam Norkin, accompanied him on his first flight back.

The pilot who was seriously injured in the same incident was released from the Rambam Hospital in Haifa earlier this week following an improvement in his condition.

The incident on February 10 began when Israeli aircraft shot down an Iranian “Simorgh” type unmanned aircraft that had violated Israeli airspace.

During a retaliatory strike on several Syrian and Iranian military targets around Damascus, including the command unit which had controlled the Simorgh drone, a Syrian S-200 surface-to-air missile caused critical damage to one of the F-16I fighter jets involved in the strikes.

The F-16I managed to return to Israeli airspace before the pilot and navigator were forced to bail out of the plane.

Major A. suffered light injuries while the pilot had suffered serious injuries.