Lebanese army fires at Israeli drones that entered airspace

BEIRUT — Lebanese army gunners opened fire at two of three Israeli reconnaissance drones on Wednesday after they entered Lebanese airspace, a security official and the state news agency said, amid heightened tensions between the two countries.

The incident occurred in the village of Adaisseh, a few kilometres from the Israeli border. The security official told The Associated Press that the drones left Lebanese airspace after being fired on and that none of them was shot down.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations.

The incident came just days after an alleged Israeli drone crashed in a Hezbollah stronghold in southern Beirut, landing on the militant group’s Beirut media office, while another exploded midair and crashed nearby.

Hassan Nasrallah, leader of the Iranbacked Hezbollah, called it an act of aggression, and vowed to retaliate and confront Israeli drones in Lebanese skies from now on. On Monday, Israeli drones attacked a Palestinian base in the country’s east, further raising tensions.

Israeli forces along the border with Lebanon are on high alert, raising fears of a repeat of the 2006 war.

The Lebanese army and government officials have also described the drone crash incidents and Monday’s attack as blatant acts of aggression and violations of sovereignty. Following an emergency security meeting, they asserted Lebanon’s right to self-defence.

There was no immediate comment from Israel on Wednesday’s incident.

Naim Kassem, the Hezbollah leader’s deputy, ruled out a wider war with Israel but said the group will carry out a surprise attack in retaliation for the drone assault south of Beirut over the weekend.

He didn’t elaborate, saying “we want the strike to be surprising, and therefore it is not in our interest to reveal more details.”