WEST BANK: Lebanon’s Hezbollah group says it has downed an Israeli drone in southern Lebanon near the border with Israel.
The Iran-backed group “shot down an Israeli drone that entered Lebanese airspace … near Zibqin in the south”, it said in a statement on Monday. The group gave no further details. The Israeli military said one of its drones “fell in Lebanese territory during routine activity” and that there was “no risk” of data being scraped from it. The incident comes after weeks of tensions along the Lebanon-Israel border, mainly in a disputed area known as Shebaa Farms.
Earlier this month, Israeli soldiers used tear gas to disperse Lebanese protesters who pelted the troops with stones along the border. Some of the de-monstrators and Lebanese troops suffered breathing problems.
The protest took place on the edge of Kfar Chouba hills, which Beirut says is Lebanese land occupied by Israel.
The hills and the nearby Shebaa Farms were captured by Israel during the 1967 war and claimed by Lebanon.
Israeli media reported earlier this month that Hezbollah had set up two tents there “in Israeli territory”. There was no comment from Hezbollah.
Hezbollah carried out military exercises near the country’s southern border with Israel in May in a show of its military power.
Israel and Hezbollah fought a monthlong war in Lebanon in 2006. Hezbollah has in the past claimed downing Israeli drones, while Israel’s military has claimed shooting down of Hezbollah drones. –Agencies
