An IAF unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) crashed during an operational flight in the skies of Gaza. The UAV came down inside Gaza, opposite Nahal Oz. An IDF force entered the area, sealed it off, successfully picked up all of the UAV's remains and returned to base.
A military source told Arutz Sheva's Hebrew language service that the circumstances of the crash are being looked into. There is no sign that hostile fire brought the aircraft down but that possibility is being taken into account. If the cause was a technical malfunction, the investigators will attempt to ascertain its nature.
A similar malfunction occurred in March, when an Israeli UAV disappeared during activity on northern Gaza. The UAV, of the type named Sky Rider, was being used by an artillery force.
One night two months ago, a Southern Command aerial surveillance balloon over Gaza became unmoored from the cables that held it in place and began floating away. IAF jets and combat helicopters were scrambled to shoot it down, so that sensitive information would not reach the enemy, the IAF website reported.
Luckily, the wind blew the balloon toward Israel and a rope dangling from it became entangled in some trees. The balloon was eventually discovered with the aid of UAVs and recovered.