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Israeli fly-over coincides with attack on Lebanese army

A day after the Lebanese army was ambushed in Baalbek on Dec. 2, Israeli aircraft violated Lebanese airspace in the same area, raising questions about a possible cooperation between Israel and Syrians on the border with Lebanon.
An Israeli Air Force F-16 fighter plane flying above a traffic sign after taking off for a mission in Lebanon from an Israeli Air Force Base in northern Israel in this July 20, 2006 file photo. Israeli warplanes bombed unidentified Syrian targets early on September 6, 2007, causing no damage or casualties, the official Syrian news agency said. Syrian air defences fired at the incoming planes, which crossed into Syria after midnight local time, the agency said. REUTERS/Ammar Awad/Files (ISRAEL) - RTR1THUA
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For decades, almost daily official Lebanese news sources reported on Israeli aircraft violating the country's airspace, from the south and west toward the sea, and even from the east and the north. However, the news announced in Beirut on Dec. 4 was more significant than before.

The Lebanese army issued a statement at noon on Dec. 4, saying, “At 1 p.m. on Dec. 3, an Israeli reconnaissance plane violated Lebanon's airspace from above Rmeish [southern Lebanon] and circulated over the southern areas Riyak and Baalbek [central Bekaa Valley], before leaving Lebanon’s airspace today [Dec. 4] at 7:25 a.m. from above Kfarkela, and at noon from above Rmeish.”

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