Lebanese military plane flies over southern Lebanon for 1st time in decades

By Naim Berjawi and Mohammad Sio

BEIRUT (AA) – A Lebanese military aircraft flew over southern Lebanon on Wednesday, marking its first flight in the region in decades.

The Cessna aircraft circled for over an hour above several towns in the Nabatieh district, witnesses said.

There was no immediate confirmation from the Lebanese authorities.

The flight represented a rare breach of Israel’s ban on Lebanese civilian and military aircraft in southern Lebanon since 1978.

The US-made Cessna, used for surveillance and reconnaissance, can launch air-to-ground missiles and features a defense system against surface-to-air threats by deploying heat flares.

The flight coincided with intensified Lebanese security investigations targeting individuals launching rockets from southern Lebanon into Israel.

On Sunday, Lebanese security forces announced the arrest of suspects over rocket fire from southern Lebanon, which the Hezbollah group denied involvement in.

A fragile ceasefire had been in place in Lebanon since November, ending months of cross-border warfare between Israel and Hezbollah, which escalated into a full-scale conflict in September.

Lebanese authorities reported more than 1,362 Israeli violations of the ceasefire, including at least 117 fatalities and more than 363 injuries.

Under the ceasefire deal, Israel was supposed to fully withdraw from southern Lebanon by Jan. 26, but the deadline was extended to Feb. 18 after it refused to comply. It still maintains a military presence at five border outposts.