IDF says it shot down 3 Hezbollah drones en route to Karish gas field

By Emanuel Fabian

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2 July 2022, 8:00 pm

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

Illustrative -- Energean working in the Karish oil field, offshore Israel, in 2020. (Screen capture/YouTube)

The Israel Defenses Forces announces that it successfully intercepted three drones flown by the Lebanese Hezbollah terror group, heading for the Karish gas field in Israel’s territorial waters.

One of the aircraft was downed by an F16 fighter jet, and the other two by Barak missiles launched from the Saar 5 Class Corvette INS Eilat, the military says.

The IDF says the UAVs were “identified at an early stage and monitored throughout their flight by air control units” and “intercepted at the most appropriate operational point.”

A preliminary investigation shows that the drones did not pose a real threat at any point during their flight, the military says.

Israel says the drilling platform is in part of its UN-recognized exclusive economic zone, but Beirut insists it is in a disputed area.

Lebanon and Israel — which have no diplomatic relations and consider each other enemy states — have been holding indirect talks brokered by the US for close to two years to resolve a maritime border dispute.