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BRUSSELS, Oct 29 (Reuters) - Belgium has opened an investigation after two drone sightings over a military base in the country's south-east, Defence Minister Theo Francken said on Wednesday, the second case in the country in under a month. Francken said in two posts on the X social media that guards at barracks in the city of Marche-en-Famenne had noticed several drones flying over key parts of the military base on Sunday and Tuesday, prompting an investigation of the police and intelligence agency ADIV. Advertisement · Scroll to continue The sighting of about five drones on Saturday and two on Tuesday happened at night, meaning it was not possible to identify the type of devices used, a source close to the investigation told Reuters. "This was not the work of amateurs, but of skilled drone pilots", Francken said in his post. His office confirmed that a probe had been opened, but could not provide further details including on the identity of potential perpetrators. NATO countries have been on high alert in recent weeks after drone sightings and other air incursions, including at another Belgian military base , at airports in Copenhagen, Munich and in the Baltic region. Advertisement · Scroll to continue On Sunday Lithuania closed Vilnius Airport and Belarus border crossings after several objects, identified as likely helium balloons, entered its airspace. Earlier this month, the European Commission proposed four flagship European defence projects, including a counter-drone system and a plan to fortify the eastern border, as part of a drive to get the continent ready to defend itself by 2030. Ad Break Coming Up NEXT StayNext OffEnglish 180p288p360p480p540p576p720pHD1080pHDAuto (180p) About ConnatixV2127676363 About ConnatixV2127676363 Continue watchingafter the adVisit Advertiser websiteGO TO PAGE Reporting by Alessandro Parodi; Editing by Benoit Van Overstraeten Purchase Licensing Rights Get the key points from this story with Reuters AI Alessandro ParodiThomson ReutersAlessandro is an Italian journalist based in Gdansk reporting on European markets, with focus on Italian companies. Previously, he worked as a multimedia freelancer in South Africa covering general news and cultures.EmailXInstagramLinkedin
