Israel on Monday appeared to threaten to bomb the presidential palace of Syrian dictator Bashar Assad when it published clear satellite imagery of the sprawling facility.

Israel has admitted to carrying out no fewer than 200 air strikes against military targets in Syria over the past 18 months. So, publishing spy satellite imagery of Assad's home was a not-too-subtle warning to the Syrian leader to stop working with forces dedicated to Israel's demise.

The photo of Assad's palace was published by the Defense Ministry to mark the 30th anniversary of Israel's first orbital launch. It was taken by the Ofek 11 spy satellite.

At around the same time, a senior US official told CNN that Syrian air defenses had accidentally downed a Russian military plane.

The Syrians were trying to repel what they believed to be another Israeli air strike on their soil.

The irony is that the Russians were hit by air defense missiles that they had sold to the Syrians for the purpose of deterring Israeli strikes.