Israeli warplanes drop leaflets over Beirut, causing panic

BEIRUT, Lebanon:  Israeli planes dropping propaganda leaflets over Beirut on Friday caused a number of loud booms in the sky, terrifying residents of the Lebanese capital.

AFP correspondents heard four successive booms at short intervals, before clouds of paper leaflets appeared high in the air.

State media said the noise was "caused by Israeli aircraft flying at a very low altitude and dropping leaflets over a number of areas, specifically in Verdun, Hamra, and Ain al-Mreisseh", western Beirut neighbourhoods.

One of the leaflets, addressed to the Lebanese people, said: "You must disarm Hezbollah, Iran's shield", and "Lebanon is your decision, not someone else's."

The leaflets included a QR code, along with the line: "Unit 504 is working to secure the future of Lebanon and its people."

Unit 504 is an Israeli military intelligence unit. Leaflet drops have been a tactic also used in Gaza.

Lebanon's military in a statement warned citizens "against scanning the codes and clicking on these links", citing "legal and security risks, as well as the potential for hacking mobile phones and accessing personal data".  — AFP