Israeli drone strike injures Al‑Manar journalists

An Israeli drone strike in the southern Lebanese city of Nabatieh injured two Al-Manar TV journalists on September 6 as they prepared for an evening broadcast, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists and video from the scene. CPJ said correspondent Ali Chbib and camera operator Mohammed Barjawi suffered cuts and bruises when debris flew into the crew’s position after the drone hit a parking lot at about 6 p.m. (cpj.org) Footage circulated by Al-Manar and carried by other outlets showed the blast landing near the camera setup during a live or near-live standup. No fatalities were reported in the incident. ### Who was injured in Nabatieh? (cpj.org) Ali Chbib, a Lebanese correspondent for Hezbollah-affiliated Al-Manar TV, and camera operator Mohammed Barjawi were the two journalists hurt in the strike, CPJ said. The press-freedom group said both men were covering recent Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon for the channel’s evening news broadcast when the drone hit nearby. CPJ said both journalists sustained cuts and bruises to their limbs from flying debris rather than direct blast wounds. A separate report citing the same facts said the pair were later discharged from hospital. (cpj.org) ### Where did the strike land, and what does the video show? Nabatieh, one of the main cities in southern Lebanon, was the location of the strike. CPJ said the drone struck a parking lot in the city at around 6 p.m. on September 6. Video published by Al Jazeera’s newsfeed unit showed the moment an Israeli strike hit near an Al-Manar journalist and his camera operator. (cpj.org) Another account of the footage said a loud aircraft noise could be heard overhead before a bright flash and falling debris interrupted the setup. ### What else was happening in Nabatieh that day? Al-Manar reported on September 6 that Israeli strikes across the Nabatieh area killed at least four people and injured 20 others, citing figures obtained from Lebanon’s Health Ministry. The same day, Lebanon’s Finance Ministry said its building in Nabatieh was damaged in the renewed attacks. (cpj.org) Al Jazeera, citing AFP and local reporting, also reported that Israeli air attacks on southern Lebanon on September 6 killed at least four people and wounded 20 others. Those reports placed the strike on the journalists within a broader day of attacks across southern Lebanon. (aljazeera.com) ### Why has this drawn attention from press-freedom groups? CPJ published its account on September 8 and said the injuries came amid fragile ceasefires in Lebanon and Gaza. The organization has repeatedly documented attacks on journalists in Lebanon during the conflict. (english.almanar.com.lb) CPJ said in earlier 2026 statements that Israeli strikes had killed several journalists linked to Lebanese outlets, including Al-Manar personnel. In March, it reported that an Israeli strike killed Al-Manar journalist Ali Shoaib on the Jezzine highway, and in a separate March case it reported the killing of freelance journalist Hussain Hamood in Nabatieh. (aljazeera.com) ### What is known about the Israeli side of the incident? Israeli media reports described Al-Manar as Hezbollah-affiliated and said the crew was wounded in an IDF strike near Nabatieh. The material surfaced in search results reviewed for this report did not include an immediate public Israeli military statement specifically addressing the injuries to Chbib and Barjawi. (cpj.org) September 8 is the latest dated milestone in the public record available for this incident, with CPJ’s statement providing the fullest verified account of the injuries and the names of the two journalists. Footage from September 6 remained central to how the episode was documented, alongside Al-Manar’s reports on the wider Nabatieh strikes that day. (cpj.org 1) (cpj.org 2) (israelnationalnews.com)