BERLIN - A German warship operating as part of the United Nations' UNIFIL peacekeeping mission brought down an unmanned flying object off the coast of Lebanon on Thursday, a spokesperson for the German defence ministry told Reuters.

       "The corvette brought an unidentified unmanned aerial vehicle into the water in a controlled crash," the spokesperson said, reporting no damage to the German vessel or its crew.

       The corvette Ludwigshafen am Rhein is continuing its duties, he added.

       The dpa news agency first reported on the incident.

       UNIFIL positions have come under fire in Lebanon since Israel launched a ground operation against Hezbollah militants on Oct. 1. Five peacekeepers have been injured, according to the U.N.

       Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called on the U.N. to withdraw its troops and called allegations that Israel is deliberating targeting the peacekeepers "completely false".

       The recent incidents have sparked widespread alarm among European governments participating in the mission.

       "We call on everyone not to obstruct UNIFIL in the implementation of its mandate. This is the unanimous opinion of the German government, the European Union and ultimately also the United Nations," a foreign ministry spokesperson told reporters on Wednesday. REUTERS