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LEBANON-ISRAEL-CONFLICT
Lebanese army says drones that hit Hezbollah stronghold were Israeli
BEIRUT, Aug 25, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – Lebanon’s army said two drones that hit
Hezbollah’s stronghold in south Beirut on Sunday were Israeli, while the
Shiite group said one of the aircraft damaged its media centre.
“Two drones belonging to the Israeli enemy violated Lebanese airspace (at
dawn)… over the southern suburbs of Beirut. The first fell while the second
exploded in the air causing material damage,” an army statement said.
The early morning incident came hours after Israel launched air strikes in
neighbouring Syria.
The army said it had sealed off the area of Beirut and that the military
police had opened an investigation.
Earlier a Hezbollah spokesman, Mohamed Afif, said one of the two drones
was rigged with explosives.
“The first drone fell without causing damage while the second one was
laden with explosives and exploded causing huge damage to the media centre,”
Afif told the National News Agency.
“Hezbollah did not shoot down any drone,” he said.
“The first drone did not explode and it is now in the possession of
Hezbollah which is analysing it.”
He expected Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah to give a “staunch response”
during a speech later in the day at a pre-scheduled group event.
Iran-backed Hezbollah — considered a terrorist organisation by Israel and
the United States — has fought several conflicts with the Jewish state.
The last confrontation was a 33-day war in 2006 that killed 1,200 in
Lebanon and 160 in Israel.
Hostilities have spilled over into Syria, where Hezbollah — like
Israeli’s arch-foe Iran — is fighting on the side of the government of
Bashar al-Assad.
On Saturday night Israeli jets carried out strikes in Syria to prevent an
Iranian force from launching an attack on the Jewish state with drones armed
with explosives, Israel’s army said.
Lebanon and Israel are technically still at war, and Beirut regularly
accuses its Jewish neighbour of violating its airspace with planes and
drones.
Questioned by AFP, the Israeli army declined to comment on the Lebanese
army’s claim about the drones.
BSS/AFP/FI/ 1505 hrs