Hezbollah claimed that the Israeli drones carried explosives, Reuters reported. In particular, the movement said in a statement cited by Reuters, that experts have examined the first drone. The suburbs "were subjected to an attack by rigged drones", with the first one failing to cause a blast and the second exploding, Hezbollah said, according to Reuters.
Hezbollah: After Islamic Resistance specialists dismantled the Israeli drone that fell in Dahiyeh, it was discovered that it contained a package that was insulated and isolated in a highly technical manner. https://t.co/DNoyEAswTa
— David A. Daoud (@DavidADaoud) 26 August 2019
Lebanon has long noted Israel’s use of Lebanese airspace for ongoing raids, saying that such actions violate the sovereignty of the republic and UN Security Council Resolution 1701, enacted after the 2006 conflict between the two countries.
6-Hezbollah releases image, allegedly of one of the Israeli drones that went down over Dahiyeh https://t.co/h6t7QRzkfV pic.twitter.com/U4gkvXXJiy
— David A. Daoud (@DavidADaoud) 26 August 2019
Israel considers the Iran-backed Hezbollah, based in Lebanon, to be among its main rivals in the region, targeting it with air raids.
Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri called the Israeli drone strikes an attack on his country’s sovereignty. Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah threatened Israel with an "adequate" response. Israel has accused the Shiite militant group of plotting to attack it with "killer drones".
On Monday, Israeli drones and fighter jets were reported to have been flying over Lebanon after a series of incursions caused tensions between the neighbors to soar in the past days.
