Bogdanov: Russia urges Israel and Syria to avoid escalation of tensions

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov said that Russia urges to avoid the escalation of tensions in the region after Israel's strikes on Syria.

"We call on everyone to be calm, to prevent a very dangerous escalation in countries of the region," RIA Novosti cited Bogdanov as saying.

The statement comes several days after Israeli Defense Forces released footage allegedly showing the downing of an Iranian drone by an Israeli attack helicopter and the subsequent airstrike against it on the Syrian soil.

The Israeli attack prompted response fire from the Syrian air defense systems. In the second wave of the attack, the Israeli forces struck 12 targets in Syria, including Syrian air defense batteries and Iranian military facilities, the country's Defense Forces (IDF) said.