Hezbollah has introduced a new battlefield tactic against Israeli forces: deploying fibre-optic-guided drones that bypass electronic defences, marking a shift in the evolving conflict along the Lebanon border, Al Jazeera reports.

The small devices, connected to operators by ultra-thin cables, cannot be jammed like conventional drones. Their use mirrors tactics seen in Ukraine, where similar systems have proved difficult to counter.

Experts said the drones can fly low and approach targets undetected, posing a serious threat despite their size.

“If you know what you’re doing, it’s absolutely deadly,” Robert Tollast of the Royal United Services Institute tells The Associated Press.

Hezbollah has reportedly used the drones against Israeli troops in southern Lebanon and near the border, where traditional rockets and larger drones have been intercepted.