Hezbollah has claimed to have shot down an Israeli Heron-1 reconnaissance drone with an Iranian 358 loitering anti-air missile above Lebanon's Beqaa Valley in dramatic footage.
The Iran-backed group released the dramatic footage allegedly showing the downing of an Israeli Heron-1 reconnaissance drone in a significant claim amid rising tensions between Israel and Hezbollah. Hezbollah fighters can be seen in the video monitoring the UAV, latching onto the target, and firing a missile that is said to have hit the drone in midair before it fell to the ground. reported TOI.
Later, Hezbollah claimed to have acquired the Israeli surveillance asset and revealed the debris. One of Israel's most significant long-range intelligence drones, the Heron-1, can broadcast real-time battlefield data for over 40 hours. Both Israel and Hezbollah have reported continued military operations, drone assaults, rocket fire, and cross-border skirmishes throughout southern Lebanon, which coincides with the alleged shootdown.
Hezbollah downs Israeli regime's drone "Heron 1" for the first time. pic.twitter.com/k9sTpT68Pv
— Iran In Hyderabad (@IraninHyderabad) June 13, 2026
Heron-1 drone has the distinction of being one of Israel's best long-range intelligence and surveillance tools and has been shot down for the first time today.
Hezbollah has published several drone-related videos in recent weeks that show direct hits on Israeli personnel and military installations, and this most recent shootdown is part of a larger tactical shift:
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Hezbollah released many first-person view (FPV) kamikaze drone recordings in May 2026 that showed direct hits on Iron Dome launchers and anti-UAV systems close to the border, including attacks in Misgav Am and Shomera.
The group uses agile, inexpensive loitering weapons to pursue Israeli military transport vehicles and troops, allegedly avoiding regular electronic jamming using fibre-optic guiding wires, according to recent FPV drone footage that was made public in early June.
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