the Predator and verbally warned the jet, which made the Iranian F-4 break off. All American aircraft remained over international waters. An earlier statement by the Pentagon that the escorting planes fired a flare to warn the Iranian jet was later amended. The Air Force later revealed that the American jet that forced the Iranian F-4 to break off was an F-22 Raptor. India India has inducted two American Predator drones — Sea Guardian, an unarmed version of the deadly Predator series — into the Navy on lease under the emergency procurement in the backdrop of the tensions with China in Ladakh. The Drones have has been leased by US Firm General Atomics, for a year for surveillance in the Indian Ocean Region. The Drones are under the full operational control of the Indian Navy and it will have exclusive access to all the information that the drone will capture. The only role of the American firm is to ensure the availability of the two drones based on the contract signed. Recently Indian Navy has shown its further interest to acquire additional Predator Drones to the US. Syria Armed MQ-1 are used in Operation Inherent Resolve against IS over Syria and Iraq. On 17 March 2015, a US MQ-1 was shot down by a Syrian government S-125 SAM battery when it overflew the Port of Latakia, a region not involved in the international military operation. Philippines A 2012 New York Times article claimed that U.S. forces used a Predator drone to try and kill Indonesian terrorist Umar Patek in the Philippines in 2006. The Philippines' military denied this action took place, however. It was reported that a drone was responsible for killing al-Qaeda operative Zulkifli bin Hir on Jolo island on 2 February 2012. The strike reportedly killed 15 Abu Sayyaf operatives. The Philippines stated the strike was executed by manned North American / Rockwell OV-10 Bronco aircraft with assistance from the U.S. Other users The Predator has also been used by the Italian Air Force. A contract for 6 version A Predators (later upgraded to A+) was signed in July 2002 and delivery begun in December 2004. It was used in these missions: Iraq, Tallil: from January 2005 to November 2006 for "Antica Babilonia" mission (1.600 hours flew) Afghanistan, Herat: from June 2007 to January 2014 (beginning with Predator A, then A+ and finally replaced by MQ-9 Reaper). Flew