A British surveillance drone flew over Lebanon for hours shortly before one of the deadliest Israeli attacks in the country in years. The aircraft reportedly took off from RAF Akrotiri, a UK military base in Cyprus.
According to an analysis by Middle East Eye (MEE) based on flight-tracking data, a Royal Air Force MQ-9B Protector drone departed from RAF Akrotiri on Wednesday morning. It began operating over Lebanon at approximately 6:20 a.m., just hours before the attacks were launched.
The drone was observed circling areas near Baalbek and Younine in eastern Lebanon. In Baalbek, at least 18 people were killed and 28 injured in Israeli strikes. While the drone’s activity during several hours of the day remains unclear, it was detected again near Baalbek at around 8:15 p.m.
RAF Akrotiri has been a point of controversy, as it has previously been used to launch UK surveillance flights over Gaza. These missions have reportedly involved intelligence-sharing with Israeli forces, officially framed as part of hostage rescue efforts. According to a source cited by MEE, the UK plays a leading role in intelligence gathering in West Asia.
