Anti-aircraft missiles were fired at an Israeli drone flying over southern Lebanon on Wednesday but did not hit the target, Israeli military crime said.
Two Lebanese security sources said the Lebanese armed movement moved Hezbollah at the drone. One source said the missiles did not hit the plane, which then returned over the border.
Israeli drone reportedly crashed in Lebanon
The IDF Spokesperson Unit said an anti-aircraft fire was detected from the Lebanon area targeting a plane with remote equipment during normal operations over Lebanese territory. The UAV was not hit and continued its mission, the military said.
Witnesses said they heard the sound of an explosion. A local channel NBN had reported earlier that a drone was exploding.
Hezbollah, backed by Iran, which has a prime presence in the south near the border, has promised to bring down Israeli drones breaking Lebanon’s air space. The two neighboring enemies finally fought in a month-long war in 2006.
Lebanese channel NBN reveals allegations that the drone went down
Hezbollah al-Manar TV reported that the drone was shot down after it entered Lebanese airfield and crashed in the small town of Blida, near the Israeli border. Hezbollah fighters have the unmanned aircraft, the report said.
The Israeli military said the drone had been on operational duty on the border before it crashed. “There is no risk of information being broken,” the military added.
The Lebanese government regularly files complaints to the United Nations against Israeli drones and jets that frequently fly into Lebanon.
The Associated Press contributed to this report