Israel locates downed drone from Gaza

Tel Aviv, Aug 14 (IANS) The Israeli military said that it had located a drone it downed earlier this week.In a statement on Friday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said the drone belonged to the Hamas militant organization in Gaza and had breached Israeli sovereignty, reports Xinhua news agency.The incident comes at a time of heightened tensions along Israel's borders.The IDF reported a similar incident on Thursday, when a drone allegedly belonging to the Hezbollah militant organisation in Lebanon was downed after crossing into Israeli airspace."The IDF will continue to operate in order to prevent any attempt to violate Israeli sovereignty," the statement added.Hamas and Israel concluded an 11-day war over two months ago with no solution between the sides. Hamas has repeatedly warned it will resume attacks against Israel if it doesn't ease the blockade against the Gaza Strip.Last week, the Israeli air force launched airstrikes against Hamas targets in response to Palestinians sending balloons laden with incendiary material across the border. Such balloons have caused major fires that have burned fields in southern Israel.
--IANS ksk/