IDF Spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said Thursday evening that a Hezbollah drone scored a direct hit on the large observation balloon "Sky Dew," located near the Golani Junction, about 21 miles from the border with Lebanon.
"There were no casualties and no impact to the IDF's aerial situational awareness capability in the area," he added.
"The IDF is actively targeting Hezbollah UAVs and aerial threats along all borders. It is important for Israeli citizens to know that the Israeli Air Force intercepts drones that penetrate our airspace every few days, not only from Lebanon but also from Iraq, Syria and Yemen, across all borders of the state."
"On the northern border, we attacked a complex of weapons manufacturing and storage sites belonging to Hezbollah's missile precision project overnight in response to the strike on the military site near Golani Junction, which hit the balloon on the ground during its operational acceptance process," Hagari also said.
Hagari decribed what has taken place after another day of fighting on the northern border.
"During the day, we attacked additional Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon and eliminated a terrorist cell, members of Hezbollah's UAV array, who were on their way to carry out a terrorist attack. Rockets were fired from Lebanon into Israel during the day, and an armed explosive drone detonated in the Metula area, injuring one soldier seriously and two others lightly. They were evacuated for medical treatment, and their families have been notified."
The "Sky Dew" system, whose site was hit last night, is designed for detection and warning of advanced threats in northern Israel. The system, housed within a large balloon, was developed over many years through an Israeli-American collaboration and is considered one of the largest of its kind in the world. The system was developed as part of a joint project between Israel and the U.S. Missile Defense Agency and includes an aerial infrastructure developed by the American company TCOM.
On Wednesday, a Hezbollah drone hit the site, and another drone launched toward Tiberias was intercepted. In response, the Air Force attacked a Hezbollah precision rocket and aircraft production site in Lebanon, and the army defined it as a "significant attack."
The Al-Mayadeen network, which is affiliated with Hezbollah, reported that 14 missiles were fired at the areas that were attacked deep in Lebanon, in the Baalbek region. An attack was also reported in the area of the town of Nabi Chit in al-Baqaa, deep in Lebanon, about 82 kilometers from the border with Israel. The reports of the attack deep in Lebanon came during the night, a few hours after the fall of the UAV in the Tiberias area. The Lebanese news agency Younews reported that more than 10 airstrikes were carried out in the eastern region of the Lebanese mountains, east of Baalbek.