Lebanon army shoots at Israeli drone — statement

BEIRUT (Reuters): 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.

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 remains disputed.

In December, a United Nations peacekeeper was killed when his vehicle was fired on in Lebanon’s south, where security is controlled by powerful anti-Israel party Hezbollah.