IAF jets scrambled to northern border as Hezbollah continue threat of an attack

The Israeli Air Force (IAF) yesterday evening scrambled two fighter jets and an attack helicopter to the northern border with Lebanon after a suspicious aircraft was detected near Israeli airspace. The jets, accompanied by ground forces, carried out searches on the ground and air and later returned to their bases after it was concluded that the suspicious aircraft had turned around. The Israeli Defence Force (IDF) were on a high level of alert yesterday, which marked the Jewish Holiday of Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) and intelligence sources had issued warnings of a possible attack by Hezbollah over the Jewish holiday season.

The incident came amid promises by Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah to revenge the assassination of Hezbollah senior leader Imad Mughniyeh in Damascus earlier this year. "We have not abandoned our commitment to avenge the assassination, nor have we abandoned the big surprise that awaits our enemies," a Lebanese paper reported Nassrallah as saying. Israeli intelligence officials believe that Hezbollah may use the Jewish holiday period as an opportunity to attack. The officials say that the transition in government and the change of the Israeli leadership makes the possibility of an attack higher as Hezbollah does not expect a harsh response during this time.

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