Small IDF drone crashes in Nablus, a week after one came down in Hebron
Military says Skylark UAV fell out of sky due to technical error while conducting reconnaissance mission over West Bank city
Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent
A small Israeli military drone crashed in the West Bank city of Nablus on Wednesday morning, the Israel Defense Forces said.
The drone, a Skylark model, was on a reconnaissance mission when it fell out of the sky due to a technical malfunction, the IDF said.
There did not appear to be a risk that classified information could have been retrieved from the fallen device, the army added.
Palestinian media published footage of the device after it was taken by locals.
Tensions in the Nablus area have ratcheted up in recent weeks, with Israel’s military placing a cordon around the Palestinian city to crack down on a loosely organized terror group known as Lion’s Den, which has claimed near-nightly attacks on troops and civilians.
Early Tuesday, Israeli troops killed the apparent leader of the group as well as four other gunmen in a raid in Nablus, which also saw troops destroying a bomb factory. On Wednesday, another three members were arrested.
#شاهد اسقاط طائرة تتبع لجيش الاحتلال في #نابلس.
مرفق فيديو متداول عبر مواقع التواصل الاجتماعي pic.twitter.com/7PRyO1YTDO
— Newpress | نيو برس (@NewpressPs) October 26, 2022
It was the second Skylark drone to crash in a West Bank Palestinian city within a week, after one fell in Hebron last Wednesday. That device was collected by troops shortly after.
Many such comparatively inexpensive unmanned aerial vehicles, which are used primarily for reconnaissance missions, have crashed in hostile territory over the years.
In May, a Skylark drone crashed in southern Lebanon due to a technical fault, according to the IDF.
The “sky rider,” as it’s known in Hebrew, is a tactical surveillance drone created by Elbit Systems and operated by the IDF’s Artillery Corps. The miniature UAV can be launched by one or two people, depending on the model, and once airborne provides a live video feed to soldiers on the ground.
