Sunday, April 06, 2014

IAF jets reported over southern Lebanon: Fighters said to be engaging in mock attack runs, similar to those reported last week

IAF fighter jets were reportedly engaged in a series of flights over southern Lebanon on Sunday morning, according to Lebanese media reports. Last week, Israeli planes were reported to be operating over Lebanese territory on both Wednesday and Thursday.

According to Lebanese reports cited by the Israeli media on Sunday, IAF jets spent several hours Sunday morning flying over south Lebanese territory. The jets were reported to be flying at low and medium altitudes and to be engaging in “mock attack” runs.

Last week, according to the official National News Agency, which quoted the Lebanese military, three Israeli planes entered Lebanese airspace on Wednesday morning, flew in circles over towns in southern and eastern Lebanon, even going as far north as Beirut, and then returned to Israeli airspace by 6:10 p.m.

On Thursday morning, Israeli jets were once again seen over southern Lebanon, this time conducting “mock raids… at a medium altitude,” the news agency reported.

There was no confirmation from Israel about any overflights of Lebanon.

Reports of Israeli overflights of Lebanon are frequent in Lebanese media.


Tensions have been high in recent months along the border, flaring occasionally into attacks on IDF patrols by Lebanese paramilitary groups and Israeli strikes against Hezbollah weapons shipments from Syria.