Beirut: UN blue helmets in Lebanon have said they downed an ‘aggressive’ Israeli drone that appeared to be targeting them, after which they were attacked by another drone with a grenade.
According to Ghana News Agency, in a statement on Sunday, the United Nations peacekeeping force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) reported that ‘an Israeli drone’ had approached its troops ‘in an aggressive manner’ on Sunday afternoon. The peacekeepers applied necessary defensive countermeasures to neutralize the drone.
Later that afternoon, ‘an Israeli drone came close to a UNIFIL patrol operating near Kfar Kila and dropped a grenade,’ the statement continued. Moments later, an Israeli tank fired a shot towards the peacekeepers. Fortunately, no injury or damage was caused to the UNIFIL peacekeepers and assets.
A spokesman for the Israeli military rejected some of the claims on Monday, stating that the downed drone had not posed a threat to UNIFIL troops. The aircraft had been deployed ‘for reconnaissance and routine information gathering,’ he said, adding: ‘We confirm that no fire was directed at UNIFIL troops.’
This incident follows a similar event several weeks earlier, where the Israeli military fired several grenades in the immediate vicinity of blue helmet soldiers in southern Lebanon, according to the UN. The UN described that incident as the most serious attack on the peacekeeping forces since the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah came into effect almost a year ago.
Since then, both sides have repeatedly accused each other of violations. Israel continues to attack targets in the neighbouring country on an almost daily basis and, according to its own figures, has killed more than 330 Hezbollah members since the ceasefire began and attacked hundreds of militia targets.
Hezbollah has been severely weakened by the recent war with Israel and is under pressure both domestically and internationally to surrender its weapons, which the militia has so far refused. The Lebanese army has presented a plan for the disarmament of Hezbollah, but it remains to be seen whether it can be implemented.