Israel Shoots Down Unidentified Drone

Posted October 6th, 2012 at 6:10 pm (UTC-5)
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The Israeli air force shot down an unmanned drone Saturday, after it crossed into Israel's air space.

Defense officials say the unidentified drone traveled more than 50 kilometers above Israel's Negev desert before it was shot down.

Spokeswoman Avital Leibovich told reporters that the drone heading toward Israel was spotted in the morning and military jets were dispatched immediately to intercept it. She said the aircraft was shot down above a forest in an unpopulated area near the border with the West Bank.

It is not clear where the drone came from, but the military says it was spotted above the Mediterranean in the area of the Gaza Strip to the west of Israel.

Defense officials did not give details about the aircraft, but they released a short video clip of what was described as the aircraft's mid-air interception.

Local news reports say the drone was not armed and that immediate suspicion links it to Hezbollah, a Lebanon-based armed group supported by Iran.