BEIRUT: An Israeli reconnaissance drone allegedly crashed in south Lebanon on Monday, media reports said. The Lebanese Army rushed to the scene but couldn't reach the site of crash due to the rough terrain, the Hezbollah-linked Media War Center said. The drone reportedly crashed in the border town of Alma Shaab, in the southern district of Tyre. State-run media said that Israeli forces went on high alert near the technical fence, and military helicopters hovered overhead.

The UNIFIL patrolled areas adjacent to the crash site, the National News Agency said. Israel has erected a technical fence along stretches of the Blue Line, which was drawn up following Israel’s withdrawal from south Lebanon in May 2000. It is only a de facto border between the two countries and attempts to physically demarcate it have been hampered by conditions close to the line. Israel repeatedly violates Lebanon’s airspace in contravention of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701. Lebanese officials have filed complaints against Israel at the U.N. over such violations.

Israel sends drones that carry surveillance cameras that broadcast live information to a base over Lebanon on a regular basis. These drones and could be used to measure distances and locate attack targets.

Israel has bombed Syria on several occasions over the past couple of years. Some of the strikes were suspected to have targeted military equipment intended for Hezbollah.