A Lebanese officer was killed on Thursday when a military helicopter came under fire in southern Lebanon.

First Lieutenant Samer Hanna was killed when gunmen opened fire on the helicopter, which was flying over the village of Tilal Soujoud in southern Lebanon.

The helicopter was forced to make an emergency landing, the Lebanese army said in a statement.

The Lebanese army has set up roadblocks in the area where the helicopter was attacked near an area where UNIFIL troops are conducting maneuvers.

Witnesses told NOW Lebanon that they heard machinegun fire in the Bir al-Kilab area near Armatta in the Jezzine caza, before the military helicopter was hit.

Inside sources also told NOW Lebanon that Hezbollah fighters shot at the military helicopter “because it crossed red lines that Hezbollah had warned the Defense Ministry and army command” not to cross, the sources said.

“The party believes that the Defense Ministry and army command were not aware that military helicopters would enter the security zone, as Hezbollah has ongoing coordination and communication with both institutions,” the source added.

The sources added that the fighters said they shot at the military helicopter after monitoring video cameras, and were aiming to warn the pilot, but did not mean to kill anyone.

The sources also said that the Resistance considered the region very sensitive, and Hezbollah leaders have already stressed the importance of the location because it contained the Resistance’s telecommunications apparatus.

According to the sources, Hezbollah leaders were communicating with the Army Command to handle the crisis.

The Lebanese press has reported that up to four other officers may have been injured in the shooting, but the reports have not been confirmed by Army Command.

Earlier in the day, Hezbollah had issued a statement denying any involvement in the incident. The statement said that Hezbollah knew that the Lebanese army was conducting a three-day maneuver in southern Lebanon.

On Thursday morning, an army regiment in the Qobbeh area, which is in the northern city of Tripoli, also came under fire.

Earlier this month, a bomb went off near a bus stop in Tripoli, killing 9 soldiers and 5 civilians.

-NOW Staff