The IDF ruled out the possibility that the drone was deliberately downed; says crash was due to technical malfunction.
By JPOST.COM STAFFIsraeli drone falls in Lebanon
Lebanese news station Al-Manar TV released video of the Israeli drone that crashed in Lebanon over the weekend.The plane was flying across the northern border on a regular surveillance mission Saturday morning when it fell from the sky.Media outlets in Lebanon first reported that a drone had crashed in the southern town of Marjayoun. The Beirut-based Al-Manar TV station, which is associated with Hezbollah, said the army had taken hold of the downed aircraft, as it broadcast images of the Israeli aircraft. Ruling out the possibility the drone was deliberately downed, the IDF said a technical malfunction caused the crash, adding that it was further investigating the incident. The Daily Star quoted security sources as saying the plane fell in a farm in the Saradah Valley and that a preliminary investigation suggested the unmanned aerial vehicle crashed due to a technical malfunction.The Lebanese Army closed off the site of the crash, according to the Star.This is not the first time a downed drone has dominated Arab press headline. Last month, Iranian media released footage of a spy drone it claimed to have shot down as it headed for a nuclear site.An unmanned plane was also reported to have crashed in Iraq in late August. The Arab-language Al-Mayadeen television network said at the time that the Hermes Model drone was shot down near Baghdad Airport.