ISTANBUL

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said early Monday that five Hermes unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) were shot down.

The semi-official Tasnim News Agency published a statement by the IRGC on the incident.

It said “five enemy Hermes-type UAVs were downed yesterday along the southern coasts of the country.”

Nearly 140 drones have been neutralized since US-Israeli attacks on Iran began on Feb. 28, it added.

Hermes-series UAVs are produced by the Israeli company Elbit Systems and are designed for missions ranging from tactical to strategic levels.

The Hermes UAV family includes models such as the 45, 90, 450, 900 and 900 Starliner.

Regional escalations have continued to rage since Israel and the US launched an offensive against Iran on Feb. 28, killing more than 1,340 people to date, including then-Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Iran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, Jordan, Iraq and Gulf countries hosting US military assets, causing casualties and damage to infrastructure while disrupting global markets and aviation.

*Writing by Merve Berker