Hezbollah fighters intercepted and shot down an Israeli drone that was hovering over southern Lebanon in violation of the Arab country’s sovereignty.
In a brief statement published by Lebanon’s Arabic-language al-Manar news network, Hezbollah said it shot down an Israeli drone that had entered Lebanese skies on Monday afternoon.
According to the statement, the Israeli plane was shot down while flying over the Wadi Aaziyyeh area near Zibqine town, which is located 103 kilometers (64 miles) south of Beirut and four kilometers (2.4 miles) from the Israeli-occupied areas.
Hezbollah announced in September 2021 that it had intercepted and struck an Israeli unmanned aerial vehicle as it penetrated into Lebanon’s airspace above Maryamin Valley, on the outskirts of the southern town of Yater.
The Israeli aircraft was targeted with “suitable weapons,” according to a Hezbollah statement at the time.
The Israeli army, meanwhile, alleged that the drone “fell during routine activity” and that the incident was being “investigated.”
Israel frequently violates Lebanon’s airspace. Lebanon’s government, Hezbollah, and the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) have repeatedly condemned Israel’s overflights, saying they are in clear violation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701 and the country’s sovereignty.
The resolution, which brokered a ceasefire in the war Israel launched against Lebanon in 2006, calls on the Israeli regime to respect Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
