German warship serving UNIFIL downs drone off Lebanon

German warship operating as part of the United Nations' UNIFIL peacekeeping mission shot down a drone off the coast of Lebanon on Thursday, the German defence ministry told news agency Reuters, as unease builds over the safety of the UN troops in the country.

UNIFIL positions have come under fire in Lebanon since Israel launched a ground operation against Hezbollah on Oct. 1, raising alarm among European governments participating in the mission.

"The corvette brought an unidentified unmanned aerial vehicle into the water in a controlled crash," the spokesperson said, reporting no damage to the German vessel or its crew.

The corvette Ludwigshafen am Rhein is continuing its duties, he added.

A spokesperson for the Bundeswehr military's joint operations command said the object was targeted by defence systems.

"The origin of the flying object is unknown," the spokesperson added in an emailed statement.

The Israeli military had no immediate comment on the incident.

Call to withdraw

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called on the UN to withdraw its troops and called allegations that Israel is deliberating targeting the peacekeepers "completely false".

Five peacekeepers have been injured, according to the UN.

"We call on everyone not to obstruct UNIFIL in the implementation of its mandate. This is the unanimous opinion of the German government, the European Union and ultimately also the United Nations," a foreign ministry spokesperson told reporters on Wednesday.

Germany's involvement in the mission focuses on patrolling the waters off Lebanon, with around 150 soldiers deployed on average, according to the Bundeswehr military.

The aerial object was targeted north-west of a UNIFIL base in Naqoura, far from the coast but close to the German warship, the dpa news agency reported, citing the German joint operations command.

Parts of the drone were recovered for investigation, according to the report, which the German military declined to comment on.