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Hezbollah claims first reconnaissance drone over israel { November 7 2004 }

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   http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/news/archive/2004/11/07/international1414EST0499.DTL

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/news/archive/2004/11/07/international1414EST0499.DTL

Hezbollah claims to send its first reconnaissance drone over Israel
- HUSSEIN DAKROUB, Associated Press Writer
Sunday, November 7, 2004


(11-07) 16:12 PST BEIRUT, Lebanon (AP) --

Hezbollah sent a reconnaissance drone into Israeli territory over northern Jewish settlements Sunday in the first hostile aerial incursion from Lebanon since a hang glider attack 17 years ago killed six soldiers.

The militant Islamic group said that the flight was in response to repeated Israeli violations of Lebanese airspace and that it reached Israel's northern coastal city of Nahariya on the border before returning it to base. A Hezbollah statement faxed to The Associated Press said Islamic Resistance, the group's military wing, carried out the flight.

Hezbollah said it retrieved the drone safely, but Lebanon's largest TV station, LBC, quoted witnesses as saying the aircraft crashed into the sea off the border town of Naqoura, adding that fishermen found the wreckage of the aircraft and gave it to Hezbollah members.

It was unclear if the drone was a homemade, makeshift aircraft or bought from abroad. Hezbollah did not describe its capabilities, say how many it had or provide further details, but promised there would be more flights.

Hezbollah's al-Manar TV station said the "Mirsad 1" drone flew over Israel at a low altitude for 20 minutes without providing further details. Mirsad means "observation post" in Arabic.

Israel claimed the craft was Iranian-made, and the army confirmed that it penetrated Israeli airspace early Sunday and flew over western Galilee.

The flight was believed to be the first hostile aerial incursion from Lebanon into Israel by guerrillas since Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command members sailed over in 1987 on a hang glider and killed six soldiers before being shot dead.

"This qualitative and new achievement by the Islamic Resistance in Lebanon comes as part of a natural response to the Zionist enemy's repeated and permanent violations of Lebanese airspace," a Hezbollah statement said.

Israel's army described the flight as evidence of Lebanon's lack of control within its territory and said "Israel views gravely any infiltration into its sovereign territory from the air, sea or by land, and will act to ensure the security of its citizens."

"This incident is part of the terrorist activity carried out by the Hezbollah terrorist organization with the support of Iran and Syria under the auspices of Lebanon, with the aim of targeting Israeli citizens," the army statement said.

Later, the Lebanese military said two Israeli drones twice violated Lebanese airspace Sunday afternoon, reaching the coastal town of Damour, south of the capital, Beirut. The Israeli Army refused to comment on the Lebanese statement.

Hezbollah pledged more such flyovers, saying they would be made "whenever the resistance wants" to counter "Zionist violations and attacks on Lebanese sovereignty."

"We have drones, and these drones can fly over occupied Palestine," said Hezbollah's political bureau chief Ibrahim Amin al-Sayyed. "One of these planes went there today."

Since Israel withdrew from southern Lebanon in May 2000, Israeli planes have frequently violated Lebanese airspace on reconnaissance missions, drawing anti-aircraft fire from the Lebanese army and Hezbollah guerrillas. Fragments of exploding shells have often fallen on Israeli border communities, causing panic and drawing warnings from Israel.

Israeli officials accuse Hezbollah of acquiring new, longer-range rockets that could strike deep into Israel. Hezbollah refuses to confirm or deny the missile claims,

Lebanon's own armed forces has no drones or fighter jets, with lightly armed helicopters forming the backbone of the air force.



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