Israeli drone crashes in Lebanon, IDF suspects technical issues
Hezbollah’s Al-Manar TV says UAV came down in South
An Israeli drone has crashed in southern Lebanon, Hezbollah’s Al-Manar TV reported on its website on Saturday, citing its correspondent.
“It crashed between the villages of Beit Yahoun and Baraachit,” Al-Manar reported.
Hezbollah reported that it was an unmanned Hermes-450 aircraft that fell with four missiles.
The IDF Spokesperson’s Unit confirmed that an unmanned aerial vehicle had fallen within Lebanon overnight, and credited it to a technical failure. The IDF is investigating the incident.
Last week, Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman warned that should a war break out, Israel’s northern communities would be the least prepared and the most vulnerable. Liberman said that Israel has spent 37 times more capital and manpower in protecting and securing the towns and cities around the Gaza Strip than it has on ensuring the safety of its citizens in communities bordering Lebanon.
Prime Minister Sa’ad Hariri announced last month that the Lebanese Armed Forces would be deploying an additional regiment to the country’s southern border, boosting their military capabilities there.
His announcement came just weeks after Hezbollah declared a state of emergency and put its troops on high alert, fearing an Israeli attack.
In February, an Israeli drone patrolling the Syrian border was shot at by unknown sources. While the UAV was not shot down, parts of it were recovered in the Golan Druse town of Majdal Shams.
Reuters contributed to this report.