JERUSALEM, June 24 (Xinhua) -- Israel launched on Sunday a Patriot missile at a Syrian drone over the Golan Heights after the drone approached the disputed border between Syria and Israel, the military said.

"A Patriot aerial defense system missile was launched towards an unmanned aerial vehicle approaching the Israeli border from Syria," a military spokesperson said in a statement.

"As a result, the vehicle retreated from the border," the spokesperson said, adding that no hit was identified.

An aerial defense system identified the drone before it crossed into Israeli territory, the military said.

"The IDF (Israel Defense Forces) will not allow the State of Israel's aerial sovereignty to be violated and will operate to prevent any attempts to harm its civilians," the spokesperson said.

A similar incident occurred last November when a Patriot missile intercepted a droned near the Syrian-Israeli border. The military said the unmanned vehicle, which was on a surveillance mission, was shot down before entering the demilitarized zone in the northern Golan Heights.

Israel has been carrying out deadly airstrikes in Syria, its northern neighbor, saying the strikes are aimed to halt Iran's efforts to establish military bases in the war-torn country.?