Israeli military downs drone entering airspace

JERUSALEM The Israeli military said troops shot down a drone that penetrated the country's airspace in the south.

A military spokesman said the drone was shot down Saturday morning. He would not say where it originated.

Israel borders Egypt in the south and Jordan in the east. The spokesman was speaking on condition of anonymity in accordance with military protocol.

Israel radio reported that it appeared to be an intelligence-gathering drone.

An Israeli defense spokesperson told The Times of Israel that the Air Force identified the unmanned aerial vehicle as it flew over the Mediterranean, and that the IAF tracked its flight over Israel before shooting it down in the northern Negev desert.

The Times said military officials do not believe the drone came from the Gaza Strip. They are considering the possibility that it originated in Lebanon.

In 2006 the IDF shot down a drone belonging to Lebanon-based Hezbollah.

Defense Minister Ehud Barak has congratulated the military in a statement, adding, "We view this incident of attempting to enter Israeli airspace very severely and we will consider our response later."