Hezbollah claims it found Israeli drone downed in Lebanon

Hezbollah, an Iran-backed Shi'ite group, has fought numerous conflicts with Israel

By REUTERS, JPOST.COM STAFF
Updated: JANUARY 17, 2017 16:24
IDF soldier with a drone (photo credit: IDF SPOKESMAN’S UNIT)
IDF soldier with a drone
(photo credit: IDF SPOKESMAN’S UNIT)
BEIRUT - The Lebanese group Hezbollah has located an Israeli drone that crashed in Lebanese territory and has taken it to a secure location for inspection, a source in Hezbollah said on Tuesday.
The Israeli military said that the drone had come down in Lebanese territory on Monday near the border with Israel, identifying the drone as a "tactical Skylark UAV".
Hezbollah, an Iran-backed Shi'ite group, has fought numerous conflicts with Israel. Their most serious flare-up in recent years was in 2015 when Hezbollah guerrillas killed two Israeli troops in retaliation for a deadly air strike in Syria.
The IDF stated on Monday that the drone had crashed into Southern Lebanon and they were looking into what caused the accident.
Hezbollah-affiliated media Al Manar reported that the drone had crashed near the southern border town Alma Shaab.
The Lebanese Army attempted to reach the crash site Monday evening, however, rough terrain delayed the drone's retrieval.
Al Manar cited the National News Agency stating that the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) had patrolled the region adjacent to the crash.
In June, Hamas claimed that it had successfully dismantled and reassembled an Israeli drone that it said had been reappropriated for “operational” use by its military arm.
The group claimed that after the drone crashed in Palestinian territory, its operatives inspected the unmanned aircraft and were able to deconstruct its parts and rebuild it for its own use.
Yasser Okbi contributed to this report.