JERUSALEM

The Israeli army announced Tuesday the first operational interception of an aerial target using the naval version of the Iron Dome system.

''A ship-mounted version of the Iron Dome missile defense system intercepted a drone that entered Israeli airspace near the southernmost city of Eilat shortly before midnight on Monday,'' the army said in a statement.

It said drone infiltration sirens had sounded in Eilat after the drone entered Israeli airspace from the east.

“The Navy tracked the drone before successfully shooting it down with the C-Dome system,” it added.

The C-Dome is a maritime air defense system designed to intercept missiles, shells, and drones.

The Israeli army has several missile defense systems developed in collaboration with the US Department of Defense.

*Writing by Mohammad Sio in Istanbul