Drone attacks: UNIFIL reports several explosions in and around bases

SOUTH LEBANON — UNIFIL has expressed concern over the « increased use » of drones in southern Lebanon, mainly by Hezbollah targeting Israeli soldiers, and reported at least five explosions caused by these devices « in and around its bases » in recent days.

In a statement Wednesday, UNIFIL said these incidents have "put peacekeepers at risk."

The international force cited an incident involving the explosion of "three suspected Hezbollah drones" on Monday, May 11, near its headquarters in Naqoura. The following day, a device exploded in the same area, then, a few minutes later, another drone exploded "inside the UNIFIL HQ," damaging several buildings.

On May 10, it was an "unarmed drone" and "of Iranian manufacture" that crashed in an open area of the HQ in Naqoura. Prior to that, on May 5, "an armed drone guided by fiber optic, presumed to belong to Hezbollah, passed through the roof of a U.N. building near Haniye," but did not explode or cause any injuries.

In response to these threats, UNIFIL is calling on all parties to the conflict to "avoid operations near" its positions and personnel, which could endanger peacekeepers. "We have specifically protested against the presence, activities, and movements of personnel and vehicles" of the Israeli army near the headquarters, the U.N. force added, which also said it had "protested to the Lebanese army about the activities of non-state actors near [our] positions."

In recent weeks, Hezbollah has been using fiber-optic exploding drones several times a day, which have become the bane of the Israeli army occupying an area of more than 600 square kilometers in southern Lebanon along the border.

The Israeli general staff has since been trying to find ways to defend against these small, inexpensive, and homemade devices, which manage to thwart the Israeli army’s sophisticated electronic jamming and radar systems.