Hezbollah 'downs' Israeli drone in Lebanese airspace

A media channel affiliated with Lebanon's Hezbollah said on Monday the powerful armed group downed an Israeli drone that flew into Lebanon's southern air space.

Israel's military told Reuters one of its drones "fell in Lebanese territory during routine activity" and that there was "no risk" of data being scraped from it.

The initial report by the Hezbollah-linked "War Media" channel, which publishes news of political and military developments in the region including Hezbollah's activities, said the drone was downed near the town of Zibqin in south Lebanon.

It was first broadcast by the Hezbollah-affiliated television station Al-Manar and then shared directly with Reuters by Hezbollah's media office.

Neither Al-Manar nor War Media gave further details.

Hezbollah and Israel have made claims to shooting down each other's drones in the past. Last month, Israel's military said it had downed a drone crossing into Israel from Lebanon but did not say who had sent it.

In 2021, Hezbollah said it shot down an Israeli drone in south Lebanon that Israel, in turn, said "fell" during "routine activity."

The Iranian-backed Hezbollah and Israel fought a month-long war in 2006 and have traded fire on several occasions since, but have avoided another large-scale confrontation. Hundreds of Lebanese civilians were killed in Israeli bombing of Lebanon.

[Reuters]