Lebanese Army Opens Anti-Aircraft Fire at Unidentified Drone
The Lebanese army opened anti-aircraft fire on Thursday at an unmanned plane in central Bekaa, the state-run National News Agency reported.
According to NNA, the Army's Second Artillery Brigade opened anti-aircraft fire at a drone that was flying over the Riyaq military airport.
It is unclear if the drone was hit.
“Around 10:30 am an Israeli reconnaissance plane overflew Riyaq region and army units in the area responded by opening anti-aircraft fire,” the army said in a communique later in the day.
However, Voice of Lebanon radio (93.3) said that the army “opened anti-aircraft fire at three Israeli MK drones that staged a circular flight over Riyaq airport.”
According to the radio station, the three UAVs were filming the area to help militiamen reach into Riyaq airport from Syria's Zabadani.”
In a separate statement, the army said that “Israeli warplanes violated Lebanon's airspace on Wednesday afternoon over the town of Alma al-Shaab, staging a circular flight over all Lebanese regions, before leaving the airspace at 10:45 pm over the town of Kfar Kila,” added the statement.
Israel's violations of Lebanese airspace, some of which at low altitudes, have intensified in recent days.
Israel routinely sends F-16 fighter planes over Lebanon, in violation of a U.N. Security Council resolution that ended the 2006 war. The Israeli planes have often broken the sound barrier over Beirut and other places as a show of strength, most recently after the drone incident.
NNA also reported on Thursday that Israeli warplanes overflew the town of Marjayoun at 9:00 am.
On December 30 last year the Lebanese army opened anti-aircraft fire for the first time against Syrian airplanes violating its airspace since the outbreak of the Syria's conflict in 2011.
H.K.
G.K.
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