Israeli drones ignite large fires in southern Lebanon, civil defence teams struggle to contain blaze

Israeli drones dropped incendiary bombs on several areas in southern Lebanon on Monday, sparking large fires across forests and agricultural fields, according to the Lebanese National News Agency (NNA).

The NNA reported that Israeli drones targeted the areas of Mreisseh and Qalaat Meis, located between the towns of Ansar and Zrarieh, before noon, igniting widespread blazes in dry fields and wooded areas.

Firefighting teams from Doueir, Zrarieh, and Kfarsir, assisted by specialized units, rushed to contain the flames, which spread rapidly over large tracts of land. However, their efforts were hampered by the explosion of unexploded ordnance (UXO) left behind from previous Israeli bombardments, forcing some teams to retreat from affected zones.

The agency added that another fire broke out between Sharqiyah and Namiriyah, reportedly caused by a drone dropping incendiary materials, with civil defense crews later managing to bring the blaze under control.

Southern Lebanon remains littered with unexploded Israeli munitions from past conflicts, posing ongoing threats to civilians and first responders.

Despite the ceasefire agreement between Hezbollah and Israel in late November 2014, Israel has committed thousands of violations, including airspace incursions and cross-border strikes that have killed and injured hundreds of Lebanese civilians and caused significant property damage.

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