Israeli Surveillance Drone Crashes in South Lebanon

NNA photo of the Israeli drone that crashed in southern Lebanon
NNA photo of the Israeli drone that crashed in southern Lebanon
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Israeli Surveillance Drone Crashes in South Lebanon

NNA photo of the Israeli drone that crashed in southern Lebanon
NNA photo of the Israeli drone that crashed in southern Lebanon

An Israeli drone has crashed in southern Lebanon’s Bint Jbeil district, the state-run National News Agency and Israel’s army said on Saturday.

The unmanned Israeli spy crashed late Friday between the villages of Baraachit and Beit Yahoun, NNA said.

According to the agency, another Israeli drone later raided the area and fully destroyed the crashed unmanned spy aircraft.

However, two of the missiles it had fired did not explode, prompting a Lebanese military unit to clear the unexploded ordnance, NNA added.

Lebanese troops and UN peacekeepers threw a security dragnet around the area of the crash.

The Israeli military said the drone had crashed because of a technical malfunction. "The incident is currently being reviewed. There is no risk of leaked information,” its statement said.

Monday’s crash is the second of an Israeli drone in southern Lebanon this year.

Lebanon regards Israel’s flying of drones in its airspace as a violation of its national sovereignty and both countries regularly accuse each other of breaching the ceasefire agreement that ended the 2006 war between Israel and “Hezbollah.”

On Friday, the Lebanese army said several Israeli warplanes violated Lebanon’s airspace by overflying the country’s villages and towns in the South.



Israeli Strike Hits Civilian Sites Near Damascus, Syrian Ministry Says

People gather near a damaged building after, according to Syrian state media reports, several Israeli missiles hit a residential building in the Kafr Sousa district, Damascus, Syria February 21, 2024. (Reuters)
People gather near a damaged building after, according to Syrian state media reports, several Israeli missiles hit a residential building in the Kafr Sousa district, Damascus, Syria February 21, 2024. (Reuters)
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Israeli Strike Hits Civilian Sites Near Damascus, Syrian Ministry Says

People gather near a damaged building after, according to Syrian state media reports, several Israeli missiles hit a residential building in the Kafr Sousa district, Damascus, Syria February 21, 2024. (Reuters)
People gather near a damaged building after, according to Syrian state media reports, several Israeli missiles hit a residential building in the Kafr Sousa district, Damascus, Syria February 21, 2024. (Reuters)

An Israeli strike from the direction of the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights targeted civilian sites south of the Syrian capital Damascus, causing some damage, Syria's defense ministry said on Monday.

Earlier, Syrian state media SANA said that initial reports indicated the strike hit the Sayeda Zeinab area. There were no immediate reports of casualties.

The Israeli military did not comment on the strike.

Sayeda Zeinab, a stronghold of the Iran-backed Lebanese armed group Hezbollah and site of a major Shiite shrine, has been targeted in previous strikes.

Syrian and Western intelligence sources say Israeli attacks in Syria have killed numerous Hezbollah and pro-Iranian militia fighters based around the eastern outskirts of Damascus and to the south of the city.

The sources say the neighborhood remains a target due to the presence of high-ranking militia leaders.

Israel has been carrying out strikes against Iran-linked targets in Syria for years. It has ramped up strikes since the Oct. 7, 2023 attack by armed group Hamas on Israel and particularly since the recent escalation of the Israel-Hezbollah conflict.