JERUSALEM: The Israeli military has expressed regret following a drone explosion that killed two Lebanese soldiers in southern Lebanon on Thursday.
Lebanon’s army reported that an officer and a soldier died while inspecting the crashed Israeli drone in the Naqura area.
President Joseph Aoun described this as the fourth deadly incident for Lebanon’s army since its southern deployment began after the November ceasefire.
Israeli military spokesman Avichay Adraee stated that forces had attacked “an engineering vehicle in the Naqura area in southern Lebanon that was preparing to rebuild Hezbollah military infrastructure in the area”.
He explained that “a technical malfunction occurred” during the operation, causing the munition to fall unexploded before detonating later.
Adraee confirmed an investigation is underway “to determine if the incident was caused by the explosion of Israeli weapons”.
The military “expresses its regret for the injury of Lebanese army soldiers” according to the official statement.
Under the current ceasefire agreement, Lebanon’s army has been deploying southward while dismantling Hezbollah infrastructure with UN peacekeeper support.
Israel continues striking Hezbollah targets in Lebanon despite the truce, vowing to persist until the group disarms completely. – AFP