Lebanon – Hezbollah said that an explosion in south Lebanon Friday resulted from Israel’s detonation of a spying device the group had discovered on its private telecoms network.
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The explosion occurred between the southern towns of Srifa and Deir Kifa, the second suspicious blast to hit south Lebanon in as many weeks.
“Hezbollah thwarted an Israeli spying operation in the area between Srifa town and Deir Kifa. Hezbollah discovered the Israeli spying device in this area before Israel blew it up the device with their [reconnaissance] drone,” the party said in a statement.
Earlier information from security sources suggested the blast could have been the result of the explosion of an Israeli cluster bomb. Villagers told The Daily Star they had seen an Israeli reconnaissance drone in the area prior to the blast.
There were also reports locally that two people have been injured in the blast, something that Hezbollah denied.
“No Hezbollah fighter was injured,” the party said.
A spokesperson for the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon said an investigation had been launched into the cause of the blast.
“The explosion was reported in the afternoon. We have been in contact with the Lebanese Army and we have people on the ground trying to ascertain the circumstances [of the blast],” UNIFIL spokesperson told The Daily Star.
Last week an explosion occurred close to the southern village of Siddiqin. The Lebanese Army attributed the blast to a cluster bomb left over from Israel’s 2006 war with Hezbollah. The party denied involvement in last week’s blast.