Hezbollah harassing northern residents with lasers; IDF responds with stink bombs

Operatives from Lebanon’s Hezbollah terror group have been harassing people in Israel by dazzling them with laser beams aimed over the border, prompting the military to counter with another assault on the senses.

For a while Hezbollah activists were aiming lasers at the Israeli border town of Metulla, targeting drivers and people walking outside, and even shining the beams into people’s homes, Channel 12 reported Wednesday.

There have been numerous complaints about the problem. In addition, residents have complained of loud explosions and the pouring of sewerage near the border, the report said. The local council took the matter up with the army and it was raised with the UN monitoring units that patrol the area, but no action was taken.

Eventually, the IDF decided to deal with the issue on its own and began dropping stink bombs on the laser operators, apparently bringing their antics to an end.

In a video broadcast by the network, two people could be seen next to a car apparently aiming a laser from Lebanon into Israel. Moments later, an object drops from the sky to land near them, splashing as it hits the ground. The two people immediately enter the vehicle and drive away.

The bombs contain the same material used in the “skunk spray” deployed by Israel Police, a foul-smelling chemical compound initially developed for use against Palestinian rioters. Police use a water canon to hose down rioters with the spray. It has also been deployed against Israeli rioters.

The report came amid rising tensions on the northern border. On Wednesday the IDF and Shin Bet security service said they suspected that the Iran-back Hezbollah was behind a blast on a highway in northern Israel that seriously wounded a man earlier this week.

The alleged terrorist was shot dead on the Lebanese border several hours after the attack on Monday. He was armed with an explosives belt at the time.