Hezbollah Claims Three Israeli Drones Shot Down in Three Days

The Lebanese militia Hezbollah has reportedly claimed that three Israeli military drones were shot down over a three day period, at least one of which fell over southern Lebanon in the Blida area. The shootdowns come amid rising tensions between Israel and Iran - the latter which is Hezbollah’s primary material sponsor and close strategic partner. As the Israeli Defence Force has weighed more options for potential military action against Iran, lawmakers in the Iranian parliament have sought to pass legislation which would allow Tehran to formalise a mutual defence agreement with Hezbollah. The militia is already expected to take action in the event of an Israeli attack on its ally.

Hezbollah emerged in the 1980s as an Iranian and North Korean backed paramilitary organisation in Lebanon - which was at the time under an illegal Israeli occupation. The Lebanese militia waged a brief war with Israel in the summer of 2006 which is considered to be the only military defeat suffered in Israel’s 73 year history, and has since clashed frequently with Western and Israeli backed jihadist militia groups on Syrian soil. Tensions between Israel and Hezbollah have remained high, although the considerable arsenals of both parties have effectively deterred either from escalating to a full scale confrontation.