The Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation, monitored in Israel, reported an Israeli plane had gone down, showing video of a flaming object falling from the skies. Two Arab news networks reported on Monday that an Israeli fighter jet was shot down over Beirut as it flew a sortie over the area. Al-Jazeera news network and al-Manar TV, the Hizbullah controlled television station, both reported that Hizbullah terrorists shot down the aircraft.
A Lebanese source confirmed the IDF response, saying that it was “some type of object” but was certain it was not an aircraft. According to a reporter on Army Radio, the explosion that followed the crash resulted in a “huge blaze”.
Defense Minister Amir Peretz told members of the Labor faction that “the chances that an aircraft or IDF aircraft parts crashed over Lebanon is very small.”
Various media reports identified the object as a “type of balloon”, according to Lebanese sources, a “leaflet container” according to the IDF or a “surface to air missile”, according to Hizbullah.
The IAF spokesman added that the leaflet container was hit by a surface-to-air missile fired by Hizbulla and that the container accidentally scored a direct hit on a truck carrying a Katyusha launcher. He added that it appeared that one of the missiles bounced out of truck as a result of the impact and was launched in the direction of Beirut.
A Lebanese source confirmed the IDF response, saying that it was “some type of object” but was certain it was not an aircraft. According to a reporter on Army Radio, the explosion that followed the crash resulted in a “huge blaze”.
Defense Minister Amir Peretz told members of the Labor faction that “the chances that an aircraft or IDF aircraft parts crashed over Lebanon is very small.”
Various media reports identified the object as a “type of balloon”, according to Lebanese sources, a “leaflet container” according to the IDF or a “surface to air missile”, according to Hizbullah.
The IAF spokesman added that the leaflet container was hit by a surface-to-air missile fired by Hizbulla and that the container accidentally scored a direct hit on a truck carrying a Katyusha launcher. He added that it appeared that one of the missiles bounced out of truck as a result of the impact and was launched in the direction of Beirut.