"Qatar Emiri Air Force successfully shot down two (SU24) aircraft coming from the Islamic Republic of Iran. They also successfully intercepted seven ballistic missiles through air defences, and intercepted five drones by Qatar Emiri Air Force and Qatar Emiri Navy Forces, which targeted several areas in the state today," the defence ministry said.

It did not elaborate on the fate of the Sukhoi SU24 bombers' pilots.

It was the first time a Gulf country has engaged a manned Iranian aircraft after three days of bombardment, and comes after Qatar's state-run energy firm said it had halted liquefied natural gas (LNG) production following attacks on two of its main gas processing facilities.

Earlier, Qatar's defence ministry said one Iranian drone "targeted an energy facility in Ras Laffan Industrial City, belonging to QatarEnergy", referring to the firm's onshore gas processing base 80 kilometres (50 miles) north of Doha.

Another "targeted a water tank belonging to a power plant in Mesaieed", the statement said, referring to an area 40 kilometres (25 miles) south of the Qatari capital, which is also a key site for Qatar's natural gas production.

There were no reports of casualties,the defence ministry added.