The Lebanese Army announced that drones will be prohibited from flying over the Lebanese capital from 4 PM until 8 PM.
The announcement came Friday afternoon, without mentioning the incentive behind the prohibition or any further details.
Notably, the Army had issued a similar statement on Thursday, forbidding “the use of drones over Beirut and its suburbs, Baabda, and Hazmieh, on 1 and 2/9/2020.”
It’s also worth noting that the ongoing rescue operation of a potential Beirut blast survivor in Mar Mikhail has been relying on a drone to survey the unstable destroyed site.
It’s unclear whether the rescue team’s drone will be affected by the Army’s decision.
On that note, soldiers have been present at the rescue site since the Chilean search and rescue team, with the help of Lebanese Civil Defense volunteers and other teams began to clear the area of rubble more than 24 hours ago.
Lebanese civil defense have returned to the site where rescuers believe a survivor of the Aug 4 blast may still be alive under the rubble after the army ordered the operation halted. Crowd cheers. #beirutblast #lebanon pic.twitter.com/NpyYtO3HX3
— Rebecca Collard (@rebeccacollard) September 3, 2020
The soldiers caused outrage when they ordered the teams to step down from atop the destroyed structure because a crane could not be brought in for support before the following day.
The teams later recommenced the operation after civilians reportedly called in two cranes by their own efforts.
Worth noting that the soldiers were receiving orders and acted properly despite the outrage of the people. The army unit present on-site was in fact ensuring the safety of the people and the needed space for the rescue teams to operate.
One incident occurred throughout the night when a young woman from the crowd tried to enter an annexed building to record the dangerous rescue operation up close, while cranes were operating, and soldiers would not let her for her own safety.
