A team from the Sassari Brigade specializing in explosive device disposal defused an armed drone that crashed – in circumstances still under investigation – during intense firefights along a stretch of road between the UNIFIL headquarters in Naqoura and Al Mansouri, Lebanon.
The UNIFIL mission's note is from just a few hours ago, but the events date back to the beginning of the week.
In accordance with UNIFIL operational procedures, the EOD (explosive ordnance disposal) team was deployed to the crash site on March 23 and, before securing the armed drone, cordoned off the area. The UN mission has launched an investigation to determine the drone's origin and clarify the circumstances of the incident.
UN peacekeepers reported heavy fighting between Israel and Hezbollah in the area at the time of the drone crash.
Their work to secure the road is considered "essential to ensure the safe movement of UNIFIL logistics convoys and patrols, as well as humanitarian workers, in this time of great instability."