BEIRUT, Oct 29 (Reuters) - Lebanon's Hezbollah said on Sunday it shot down an Israeli drone over southern Lebanon with a surface-to-air missile, the first time it has announced such an incident, as clashes on the Lebanese border escalate. The drone was hit near Khiam, about 5 km (3 miles) from the border with Israel, and was seen falling in Israeli territory, Hezbollah added. Two security sources in Lebanon said it was the first time Hezbollah had announced downing an Israeli drone. The Israeli army and the Iranian-backed Hezbollah group in Lebanon have been exchanging fire on a daily basis since the start of the Gaza conflict three weeks ago. "UNIFIL expresses serious concern over these two attacks on our troops who are tirelessly working 24/7 to restore stability in southern Lebanon and de-escalate this perilous situation, " the force wrote on social media platform X.

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Persons: Mohanad Hage Ali, Laila Bassam, Tom Perry, Nayera Abdallah, Younes el, Riham Alkousaa, Alexander Smith, Hugh Lawson, Giles Elgood Organizations: Carnegie Middle East Center, Israeli Defence Ministry, United Nations, UNIFIL, Lebanese, Younes el Audi, Thomson Locations: BEIRUT, Lebanon, Lebanese, Khiam, Israel, Houla, Gaza, Naqoura