The IDF stated on Wednesday that an Israeli drone was downed inside southern Lebanon on Wednesday morning.

“A short while ago, during routine security operations, an IDF drone fell by Israel’s border with Lebanon, within Lebanese territory,” the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit stated, adding that there’s no possibility of Israeli intelligence information being leaked by the drone.

Lebanese media claimed earlier on Wednesday morning that the drone had been shot down by Hezbollah and released a video of the drone in the air followed by the sound of gunfire.

However, other Lebanese reports said that the drone was downed by a civilian with a hunting rifle near the Lebanese village of Kila.

The drone that was downed was a DJI Mavic. According to a Jerusalem Post report, the IDF began using the Chinese-made Mavics in 2017 to gather intelligence and the drones play a major role in securing the Lebanese-Israeli border.

The Mavic is a light device, weighing less than two pounds, can be folded up and put inside a pouch and flies at 65km/hour. It can be used only during the day, unlike the larger Matrice drone, which is used by other IDF combat intelligence battalions. The more durable Matrice, weighing five pounds, can fly at night and can be used in bad weather conditions.

اسقاط مسيرة صغيرة فوق بوابة فاطمة الان
جيش #اوهن_من_بيت_العنكبوت pic.twitter.com/lMVxN60szt

— محمد حسين مع الله وحزبووووو💛💛 (@I9peC77lbflDHyf) October 23, 2019

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)