Helicopter shooting culprit handed to police

LEBANON SHOOTING: The coffin of Lebanese army First Lieutenant Samer Hanna is draped with a national flag during prayers in a church in his hometown before his burial. (AFP)

Lebanon's Shiite Muslim Hezbollah movement has handed over to military police the culprit behind the downing of a military helicopter that killed an army officer, a judicial source said on Friday.

"Hezbollah has handed over the person who fired at the helicopter to military police," the source told AFP.

"The person behind the attack is in the hands of military officials who are investigating the incident."

The identity of the person handed over has not been revealed.

First Lieutenant Samer Hanna, 25, was killed when his helicopter was hit by gunfire on Thursday during a training mission in a region known as a Hezbollah stronghold in southern Lebanon.

Hezbollah, a powerful political movement and militia which is backed by Iran and Syria, had earlier Friday described the incident as "regrettable and distressing".

"We ask that all political parties refrain from baseless speculation on the incident whose circumstances remain unknown," it said in a statement.

Former prime minister Salim Hoss, who is considered close to the Hezbollah-led opposition, pointed the finger of blame at Hezbollah.

"The area where this distressing incident took place is, as everybody knows, under the control of the Resistance (Hezbollah)," Hoss said.

"Hezbollah must explain and not justify what happened, because the death of a brilliant officer cannot be justified whatever the circumstances of the incident," Hoss said in a statement.

The pro-opposition newspaper As-Safir also blamed Hezbollah.

"It seems that poor advance coordination between the army and the Resistance (Hezbollah) about the helicopter's overflight as well as the state of mobilisation in Resistance ranks due to Israeli threats led to the confusion," it said.

"Hezbollah militants thought it was an Israeli commando raid," the paper said, adding that when the fighters realised the mistake they immediately transported the lieutenant to the hospital.

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