Israeli fighter jets were scrambled after an unidentified drone reportedly evaded the Iron Dome air defense system
Israel’s military said its Iron Dome air defences fired at an unmanned aerial vehicle that had crossed into its airspace © AFP / Jalaa Marey
A radio-controlled unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) crossed into Israel from Lebanon on Friday, the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) said in a series of Twitter posts. Sirens were sounded and air defense systems were activated in northern Israel following the incident.
Iron Dome “interceptor” missiles were launched “according to protocol,” the IDF said, adding that radar contact was lost with the aircraft “after a few minutes.” Israeli media reported that the UAV evaded the country’s air defenses.
Fighter jets were also scrambled to patrol the area, the IDF confirmed. The fate of the drone is unclear, with the military saying the issue is still “under investigation.”
Local residents north of the Sea of Galilee told Haaretz newspaper that they had heard a blast, which the paper said “may have been the Iron Dome interceptors.”
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There were no immediate reports of any casualties or damage and the IDF said “civilian life has returned to routine.”
Lebanon has so far not commented on the situation.
The incident comes just a day after the Israeli military reported it shot down another drone from Lebanon launched by Hezbollah militants into Israel. The Thursday incident is the sixth such event over the past year, Israeli media reported.
Earlier, the IDF also shot down a “friendly” drone over northern Israel by mistake.
On Wednesday, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said his group has been producing drones in Lebanon and possesses a technology allowing it to turn “thousands” of rockets into precision weapons.
