Israeli drone falls in Lebanese village

BEIRUT, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) — An Israeli drone fell in the Wazzani area in southeastern Lebanon, Lebanese military sources confirmed to Xinhua on Sunday.
“The drone was not exposed to gunfire, and it seems that it fell due to a technical malfunction,” said the sources.
Earlier in the day, the fallen drone dropped leaflets over the Lebanese border village of Wazzani and surrounding areas, calling on residents to evacuate to the north of the town of Khiam.
The media office of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), headquartered in the southern Lebanese city of Naqoura, said it was informed by the Israeli army that dropping the leaflets was an unauthorized action under the order of a brigadier general, rather than a decision by the Israeli military or government.
The Israeli army is investigating the incident, according to UNIFIL.
The incident took place as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu suggested on Sunday that Israel may escalate its actions against the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah.
Tensions along the Lebanon-Israel border have escalated since Oct. 8, 2023, following a barrage of rockets launched by Hezbollah toward Israel in solidarity with Hamas’ attack on Israel the day before. Israel then retaliated by firing heavy artillery toward southeastern Lebanon. The months-long conflict has already forced tens of thousands of civilians to flee villages and towns on both sides of the border. ■