The Lebanese army opened fire at two of three Israeli drones that breached Lebanese airspace on Wednesday evening in the south of the country near the Israeli border, and all three returned to Israeli airspace, the army said, Reuters reports.
Israeli aircraft regularly enter Lebanese airspace, but this is a rare case of the army targeting one. Beirut has repeatedly complained to the United Nations about Israel, which Lebanon considers an enemy country, breaching its airspace.
#Watch| The Lebanese army shoots down a third Israeli drone near the borders with occupied #Palestine. #Lebanon pic.twitter.com/lfGV1DDUPV
— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) August 28, 2019
A security source told Reuters that troops fired shots from M16 assault rifles. The Lebanese army does not possess air defense systems.
The first drone entered Lebanese airspace at 19:35 over the border village of Adaisseh and returned to Israel after shots were fired, the army statement said.
Beirut: 3 Israeli drones breach #Lebanon’s airspace, army fire force them to return pic.twitter.com/Wcx6XkWTEC
— Press TV (@PressTV) August 28, 2019
A second drone returned to Israel without being fired at after entering over Kfar Kila, also a border village. The army then fired at a third one which also returned back to Israel, it said.
Lebanese President Michel Aoun had said on Monday his country had a right to defend itself after two Israeli drones crashed in Beirut southern suburbs, dominated by the Iran-backed Hezbollah group, on Sunday.
#UPDATE The Lebanese army opened fire at an Israeli drone in south Lebanon, a military source and state media said, in a rare incident as tensions mount between the neighbors https://t.co/sPCJaJjSJG
— AFP news agency (@AFP) August 28, 2019
Earlier on Monday, Israeli strikes had hit a military position belonging to an Irani-backed Palestinian faction in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley near the Syrian border.
The Israeli military spokeswoman said it was checking the report.
A witness at the border said the situation was calm following the incident.
(Middle East Monitor, PC, Social Media)
I am from Vancouver,Canada and I wanted to say that the Lebanese Army got the right to shoot down any Israeli Drone or Plane.Israel has always been an enemy of Lebanon and Palestine.Israeli Aggression against Lebanon and Palestine has been condemned around the world.
Hezbollah got the right to defend South Lebanon against Israeli Occupation and Israeli Attacks. The majority of people in the world supports the people of Lebanon and Palestine in their fight against Israeli Attacks and Israel Occupation of Palestine.That support will continue.