Was the crashed Batroun drone headed to Hamat airbase?
MP Ghayath Yazbek of the Lebanese Forces said Thursday that an "Iranian-made" drone that crashed earlier in the day in the Batroun district had been headed to the nearby Hamat airbase, which is used by U.S. forces, suggesting that Hezbollah and Iran were behind it.
"They have lost their political and national compass, and now they are losing their compass in the field of aviation. The Party of Iran (Hezbollah) is following (late Palestinian leader) Abu Iyad's path to fight Israel. After the missile attack on Jounieh and Kesrwan, an Iranian-made drone crashed in the central region of Batroun. Of course, there are no military targets there other than Hamat Air Base, which is located just a few kilometers from the drone's crash site," Yazbek said.
"And of course, I don't believe that whoever sent it intended to check on the displaced people sheltering in this peaceful, hospitable and quiet area," he added.
Yazbek accordingly called on the state to end its "continued hesitation, paralysis, and refusal to put an end to these blatant violations."
"Before it is too late, the state must loudly and clearly confront the leaders of the Revolutionary Guard who are wreaking havoc in Lebanon ... These areas must not be violated, and their inhabitants must not be subjected to danger, destruction and death," Yazbek went on to say.
A picture circulating online meanwhile showed the phrase "Death to America" handwritten in Persian on the drone's wing.
Media reports said the drone hit a tall tree in the Batroun district town of Assia, around 15 to 20 kiolmeters from the Hamat Airbase.
Source: Naharnet
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