IDF launches artillery exercise in disputed land on Lebanese border

Military says drill in Mount Dov region was planned in advance, and there is no fear of a security incident

By Emanuel Fabian

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24 August 2021, 8:43 am

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Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent

Israeli artillery batteries are seen along the border with Lebanon on January 28, 2015. (Basal Awidat/Flash90)

The Israel Defense Forces said that it will conduct an artillery drill in the contentious Har Dov region on Tuesday.

Explosions are expected to be heard in nearby towns, the military said, asserting that there was no fear of a security incident.

The military said the drill was planned in advance, indicating that it did not stem from a new assessment.

Mount Dov, also known as the Sheba Farms, is a contested area claimed by Israel, Lebanon, and Syria.

Israel and Lebanon are still technically at war and the border area is the site of sporadic incidents.

Earlier this month, 19 rockets fired by the Hezbollah terror group in Lebanon were aimed at Mount Dov. The IDF said 10 projectiles were intercepted by the Iron Dome missile defense system and six landed in open areas around the hill. Another three rockets failed to clear the border and landed in Lebanese territory, according to the military.

A picture taken from the Israeli side of the Blue Line that separates Israel and Lebanon shows smoke billowing above Mount Dov on the Israeli-Lebanese border, after reports of clashes between the IDF and Hezbollah in the area, on July 27, 2020. (Jalaa MAREY / AFP)

In July 2020, a Hezbollah cell attempted an assault on a military base in Mount Dov. It was foiled by the IDF, and proof of the attempted attack was presented to the United Nations. Hezbollah still officially denies the incident occurred.