Lebanon's Iran-backed terror organization, Hezbollah, said on Saturday it had seized an Israeli Skylark drone over Lebanese air space "in good condition."
In spite of Iran-backed Hezbollah seizing this Israeli drone in Lebanon, the Iranian foreign minister said on Saturday that neither Iran nor Lebanon had sought to expand hostilities in the region, four months after Hamas' attack on Israel set off a series of flare-ups across the Middle East.
The Skylark is a small, unmanned aerial vehicle typically used for surveillance, intelligence collection and is produced by Israel-based weapons manufacturer Elbit Systems. There are different types of drones for carrying out airstrikes, which are generally larger than those used for surveillance. These larger drones have become more commonly used in the last year in the West Bank and Gaza.
Drone strike in Lebanon
On Saturday, a drone strike targeted a car north of Sidon in southern Lebanon, killing three individuals, including a Hezbollah fighter, Lebanese security sources told Reuters.
The strike reportedly targeted a figure associated with Hamas, but the security sources told Reuters that the supposed intended target survived the incident.
Israeli media, citing Lebanese media sources, named the Hamas-associated individual as Bassel Saleh. Saleh was reportedly wounded by the strike. His condition is unknown.
Eyewitnesses reported seeing two drones flying over the area for hours - before two consecutive explosions were heard, according to Israeli media. The area is about 55 km from the border with Israel.