Lebanese army shoots at Israeli drone over south Lebanon: statement

Lebanese soldiers shot at an Israeli drone on Friday as it crossed south Lebanon's airspace - a near-daily occurrence.

2 min read

13 January, 2023

Israel regularly violates Lebanon's airspace, but it is rare for Lebanese troops to target their aircraft [Getty/archive]

The Lebanese army said on Friday its troops shot at an Israeli drone that crossed into Lebanon's southern airspace, with a security source saying the drone was not brought down.

Israel regularly flies military aircraft in Lebanon's airspace without permission but it is rare for troops to target them.

The Lebanese army statement said a patrol was inspecting a separate incident in the south when a "drone belonging to the Israeli enemy violated Lebanese airspace," prompting troops to begin shooting in its direction.

بتاريخ ١٣/ ١/ ٢٠٢٣، وأثناء قيام دورية من الجيش بالكشف على أحد الخروقات في خراج بلدة حولا ووادي هونين، خرقت طائرة درون تابعة للعدو الإسرائيلي الأجواء اللبنانية في المنطقة المذكورة وحلقت فوق الدورية، فقام العناصر بإطلاق النار باتجاهها.#الجيش_اللبناني #LebaneseArmy pic.twitter.com/J5xyEAS0Rv
— الجيش اللبناني (@LebarmyOfficial) January 13, 2023

A Lebanese security source told Reuters they did not shoot it down.

The Israeli military said it was not aware of such reports.

Lebanon and Israel agreed in October to delineate their maritime border after years of US-mediated talks. The land boundary between the two - known as the Blue Line - remains disputed.

In December, a United Nations peacekeeper was killed when his vehicle was fired on in Lebanon's south, where Hezbollah has a strong military presence.

Earlier this month, seven people were charged in Lebanon over that attack.

(Reuters & The New Arab)