‘UFO’ lights raise havoc in Israel?

A spaceship flying over Israel? A satellite or a Russian ballistic missile? An unidentified flying object observed in Middle East countries Thursday night has caused panic, with people calling the police to say they witnessed a UFO.

The mysterious shining object seen in the skies swirled around and looked like smoke, some observers said. The object gave off light and was followed by a smoke trail.

The strange flying phenomenon was also reported in Georgia, Armenia, Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan and other countries in the region.

The Israeli Defense Forces made a statement following the incident saying they were unaware of any operations in the area.

Some astronomical experts conjectured that the object was a satellite that had exploded in orbit, the Times of Israel reports. The newspaper also quoted a Lebanese report suggesting that the flying item was the remains of a meteorite, with its smashed pieces creating a dust trail that glowed behind it.

Prominent Israeli astronomer Dr. Yigal Pat-El, who is chairman of the Israeli Astronomical Association and an observatory director, told the Ediot Ahronot newspaper it is quite possible that the object was a ballistic missile.

"It most likely spun out of control and its remnants and the fuel was what people saw. It reached a height of 200-300 kilometers and that’s why it was seen from so many locations," he told the newspaper.