BEIRUT – An Israeli drone crashed in southern Lebanon overnight betweenFriday and Saturday, the Israeli military and Hezbollah’s al-Manar TVreported.

“An unmanned Israeli spy plane crashes between the villages of Beit Yahounand Baraachit,” al-Manar reported.

A statement from the Israeli military said the drone had crashed because ofa technical malfunction. “The incident is currently being reviewed. Thereis no risk of leaked information,” the statement said.

Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah last fought a war in 2006. Israeli and U.S.officials say Iran is helping the group build factories to manufactureprecision-guided missiles or refit its longer-range missiles with precisionguidance systems.

The heavily armed Hezbollah joined the Syrian civil war in support of Assadin 2012, and has played a critical part in helping his government defeatSunni rebels backed by the United States and its regional allies – SaudiArabia, Qatar and Turkey. – Agencies