Sirens blare as Israel mistakenly shoots at own drone near Lebanon border

Israel shot at its own drone near the Lebanese border on Thursday, after mistaking it for an enemy weapon.

The drone was shot at by Israel's Iron Dome air defence system, according to the Israeli army.

The incident caused rocket alert sirens to ring out in the Upper Galilee, with locals left worried there may be incoming rocket fire, The Times of Israel reported.

The military acknowledged its error, adding that calm was restored to the area following the shooting.

The army did not say if the unmanned vehicle had been taken out. Israeli news reports suggested this was not the case.

The incident comes as a rocket launched from Lebanon hit an open field in Israel's north in April. That rocket fire did not cause any injuries and no property was destroyed.

The Israeli army then fired artillery across the border at the location where the projectile came from.

The military at the time believed Palestinian groups were to blame, though no one immediately said they were behind the rocket fire.

Tensions between Lebanon and Israel have long been high.

Israel occupied its neighbour for 15 years from 1985 to 2000, and in 2006 fought a war with Iran-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.

More than 1,100 Lebanese people were killed, almost all of them civilians, according to Human Rights Watch. Israeli authorities said 43 of their civilians were killed.