By Rania Abu Shamala
ISTANBUL (AA) – The Israeli army on Monday accused the UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon (UNIFIL) of shooting down a reconnaissance drone in the south.
A military statement claimed that the drone posed no threat to UNIFIL observers, accusing the peacekeepers of opening fire and downing the drone.
There was no immediate comment from the mission on the Israeli accusation.
On Sunday, UNIFIL said that a patrol came under grenade fire from an Israeli drone and tank fire near Kfar Kila in southern Lebanon.
The peacekeeping mission also said that an Israeli drone flew over a UNIFIL patrol in the same area, prompting peacekeepers to take defensive measures to neutralize it.
UNIFIL has operated in southern Lebanon since 1978 and was significantly reinforced under UN Security Council Resolution 1701 after the 2006 war between Israel and the Lebanese group Hezbollah.
Israel has repeatedly launched airstrikes in Lebanon on claims of targeting Hezbollah infrastructure despite a ceasefire agreement that took effect in November 2024.
Under the terms of the truce, the Israeli army was supposed to withdraw from southern Lebanon by January 2025. But it has only partially pulled out troops and continues to maintain a military presence at five border outposts.