LONDON, Oct. 14 (UPI) -- An Iranian-made drone dispatched by Hezbollah transmitted images of Israeli military bases and possibly the Dimona nuclear plant, The Sunday Times says.
A report by the British newspaper based on unnamed sources said Sunday the drone was airborne for three hours before it was intercepted by an Israeli fighter jet, and is believed to have transmitted images of ballistic missile sites, airfields, preparations for an upcoming American-Israeli military exercise and possibly the nuclear plant in Dimona.
The sources said the drone was launched from Lebanon with the assistance of Hezbollah and technicians from the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. The drone is believed to be the new long-range Shahed-129 that has the ability to fly some 1,200 miles and remain airborne for 24 hours, the newspaper said.
The drone was shot down a week ago Saturday, 20 minutes after it entered Israel's airspace and failed to transmit images, the army said at the time.
Following the incident, Amos Gilad, a top Israeli defense ministry official, said the drone failed to gather intelligence or harm Israel's air superiority.
Last Thursday, in a televised address, Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah admitted the drone had been sent by Hezbollah and vowed to send more in the future.
