Israeli warplanes strike targets in Beirut's southern suburbs

Yahoo

28-03-2025

The Israeli military on Friday struck Hezbollah militia targets in Lebanon following the firing of two projectiles into northern Israel, which the army said it intercepted.
"A short while ago, the IDF struck a terrorist infrastructure site," the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) wrote on its Telegram channel.
It said the places hit were "in the area of Dahieh, a key Hezbollah terrorist stronghold in Beirut."
Two explosions were heard and black smoke could be seen, dpa reporters at the scene confirmed.
It was not immediately clear whether there were any casualties.
The Hezbollah-run al-Manar television station reported three warning drone strikes before the big attack took place.
Local media reports showed at least two buildings leveled to the ground following the attack.
The IDF had previously issued a warning to residents of the affected neighbourhood on X, saying they were close to Hezbollah facilities.
Earlier the army said "two rockets were fired from Lebanon towards Israel. One of the rockets was intercepted, while the second fell inside Lebanese territory," Avichay Adraee, the Arabic spokesman of the Israeli army said on X.
Hezbollah has denied any links with the rocket firing.
Warning sirens were heard in areas of northern Israel which are close to the Lebanese border, Lebanese security sources said.
The sources said two loud explosions were heard across southern Lebanon.
The same sources told dpa the Israeli army retaliated by shelling a series of villages in southern Lebanon.
Israeli shells fell on Qaqaait al-Jisr, Khiam and Kfar Kela. Israeli drones were also heard flying over villages in several areas of southern Lebanon and the capital Beirut.
Adraee, shortly before the strike, issued a warning to residents of the al Hadath neighbourhood on the outskirts of Beirut's southern suburbs, a stronghold of Hezbollah, to evacuate certain buildings in the area.
Shortly after the warning came from the Israeli army, people were seen rushing out of buildings near the area where the Israeli army said they will hit.
Lines of cars were seen leaving al Hadath area, according to an eyewitness. People were panicking as parents rushed to pick their children up from school, a dpa reporter observed.
This is the first warning by the Israeli army to residents in Beirut's southern suburbs since the ceasefire was implemented in November.
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salan called on the Lebanese army commander to move quickly to conduct the necessary investigations to uncover the parties behind the irresponsible rocket fire, which threatens Lebanon's security and stability.
He stressed the need to prevent the recurrence of such acts, while emphasizing the need to complete the measures taken by the Lebanese Army to restrict the possession of weapons to the state.
Salam also made a series of calls to Arab and international officials to exert maximum pressure on Israel to halt its repeated attacks.
He reiterated Lebanon's full commitment to implementing UN Resolution 1701 and the cessation of hostilities arrangements, and said the Lebanese Army alone is responsible for protecting the border, and "that the Lebanese state is the sole authority to decide on war and peace."
A ceasefire has been in place in Lebanon between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah militia since November.
The deal paused more than a year of intense cross-border shelling, which intensified when Israel launched a ground invasion of southern Lebanon in October.
The conflict broke out following the October 7, 2023, attacks by the Palestinian militant group Hamas on Israel and the subsequent war in Gaza.
Under the terms of the ceasefire, Israeli troops are due to completely withdraw from southern Lebanon. However, they have remained at five strategic points, which the Lebanese government considers a violation of the ceasefire agreement.