By Euro News

The leader of the Hezbollah movement�in Lebanon has admitted that it sent a drone into Israel that was subsequently shot down by the Israeli air force.

Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah told the organisation�s al-Manar TV station that the pilotless reconnaissance plane was made in Iran.

�The resistance in Lebanon sent a sophisticated drone aircraft from Lebanon, we do not need to specify from exactly where. We flew the plane hundreds of kilometres above the sea and it breached the enemy�s high defences and entered southern Palestine. It flew over sensitive installations for tens of kilometres south until it was discovered by the enemy,� he said.

The drone was shot down on Saturday over a forest near the occupied West Bank.

The announcement from Hezbollah confirmed the Israeli Prime Minister�s earlier claim that the Iran-backed militants were responsible.

Speaking during a tour of Israel�s southern border with Egypt, Benjamin Netanyahu said they were acting with determination to defend Israeli borders: at sea; on land, and in the air where, he said, last weekend�s attempt by Hezbollah had been thwarted.

Hezbollah has launched a drone into Israel at least once before. Two years ago an Israeli warplane shot down an unmanned balloon.

Separately, Netanyahu has announced the date of Israel�s early general election for January 22.

 

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