BEIRUT, Lebanon: The powerful Lebanese armed group Hezbollah has said it had used a drone capable of firing rockets at military positions in one of its latest attacks in northern Israel.
Since the outbreak of war between Israel and Hamas on October 7, Israel and Hezbollah have engaged in almost daily firefights.
Hezbollah announced that it had used an “armed attack drone” equipped with two S-5 rockets against military positions in Metula, northern Israel.
The Iran-backed group released a video showing the drone heading towards the position where the tanks were positioned, with the footage showing the moment two missiles were fired and the drone then exploded.
It was the first time they had announced the use of this type of weapon since cross-border exchanges with Israel erupted in October.
The Israeli military said three soldiers were wounded in Thursday’s attack.
Hezbollah-linked media said the drone’s warhead consisted of 25 to 30 kilograms (55 to 66 pounds) of explosives.
According to a military analyst, the use of drones offers Hezbollah the ability to launch an attack from within Israeli territory because they can fly at low altitudes and avoid radar detection.
Hezbollah also announced on Wednesday that it had launched a strike using “attack drones” on a base west of the northern Israeli city of Tiberias.
The attack was the group’s deepest attack on Israeli territory since the fighting began, analysts said.
The Lebanese militant group has announced what it described as “comprehensive” attacks in recent weeks, using attack drones and missiles to hit military positions as well as troops and vehicles.
It has also used cruise and heavy missiles such as Iran’s Burkan and Almas missiles, as well as the Jihad Mughniyeh missile, named after the Hezbollah leader killed by Israeli fire in Syria in 2015.
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According to a retired general, despite its new weaponry, Hezbollah still relied primarily on Kornet anti-tank missiles with a range of only five to eight kilometers.
They also use the Konkurs anti-tank missile, which can penetrate Israel’s Iron Dome defence system.
Hezbollah has a large arsenal of weapons that has expanded significantly in recent years.
The group has repeatedly claimed to have advanced weapons capable of striking deep inside Israeli territory.
Analysts have described the skirmishes between Israel and Hamas as a “war of attrition” in which each side is testing the other as well as its own tactics.
Hezbollah has expanded the scope of its attacks in response to strikes targeting its munitions and infrastructure or its military commanders.
