Israeli drone 'shot down' in southern Lebanon

Lebanon's state-run news agency said a Lebanese man shot down an Israeli drone with a hunting rifle near the border village of Kfar Kila.

Lebanon's MTV news station reported that the drone was shot down by Hezbollah, but the group's Al-Manar news said a civilian shot it down.

The Israeli military admitted to flying a drone over Lebanon, saying it was done as a part of "routine operations to secure the border".

The military, however, claimed the drone "fell" as opposed to being shot down.

Last week, the Lebanese army accused Israel of sending a reconnaissance drone over Beirut's southern suburbs, also a bastion of Hezbollah.

"One of the Israel enemy's reconnaissance drones violated Lebanese air space... overflew the southern suburbs and left," the army said in a statement. 

On 25 August, two explosive-laden drones were sent to the same area. One of them exploded, sparking a dangerous escalation between Hezbollah and Israel.

Lebanon's Hezbollah and Israel fought a month-long war in 2006.

Lebanon and Israel remain technically in a state of war, though the border has been mostly calm since that conflict.

A Lebanese government investigation concluded last month the two Israeli drones were on an attack mission when they crashed in Beirut in August.

Agencies contributed to this report.

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