Lebanon’s Hezbollah said on Monday it had shot down an Israeli Hermes 450 drone over Lebanese territory with a surface-to-air missile, the second time it has announced a downing of this type of unmanned aerial vehicle.
The Hermes 450 is a multi-payload drone made by Elbit Systems, an Israel-based weapons manufacturer.
The Israeli military said on Monday that two missile launches had targeted an Israeli Air Force UAV operating over Lebanon. The first, it said, was intercepted by Israel’s “David’s Sling” Aerial Defense System but the drone “fell inside Lebanese territory” after a second launch.
Hezbollah, which is backed by Iran, has said it has downed or seized control of several Israeli drones in the months since it began exchanging fire with the Israeli military across Lebanon’s southern border in support of its Palestinian ally Hamas, which attacked Israel on Oct. 7, triggering the Gaza war.
The Lebanese militant group first said it downed an Israeli Hermes 450 drone in November. In recent weeks, Hezbollah said it has seized control of several Skylark drones, which are smaller surveillance drones also made by Elbit.
Hezbollah has used surface-to-air missiles on several occasions since Oct. 7 to target Israeli aircraft. It has also launched its own surveillance drones into northern Israel.
(Reuters)