BEIRUT (AP) – Hezbollah fighters on Monday shot down an Israeli drone flying near the border and over southern Lebanon, the Lebanese guerrilla group itself said on Monday.
The group gave no further details on the type of drone allegedly shot down near the village of Zibqine, north of the border with Israel. So far there has been no comment from the Israeli authorities.
The incident follows weeks of tension along the Lebanon-Israel border, particularly in a disputed area called Chebaa Farms.
Earlier this month, Israeli soldiers fired tear gas to disperse dozens of Lebanese protesters who had been throwing stones at troops along the border. Some of the protesters and the Lebanese troops had breathing problems.
The protest took place on the outskirts of the Kfar Chouba hills, which Beirut says is Israeli-occupied Lebanese land. The Chebaa Hills and surrounding farms are areas captured by Israel and claimed from Lebanon during the 1967 Middle East War.
Israeli media reported earlier this month that Hezbollah had set up two tents there “on Israeli territory”. There were no comments from the guerrilla group.
Israel and Hezbollah waged a month-long war in Lebanon in 2006, with neither achieving victory. Hezbollah has previously reported shooting down Israeli drones, and the Israeli military has also claimed to have shot down Hezbollah drones.
Israel regards the Lebanese guerrilla group as its greatest immediate threat and estimates that they have around 150,000 fighters targeting Israel.