Hezbollah on Monday said that three of its members died during an Israeli air raid in southern Lebanon, shortly before the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said “a number of launches from Lebanese territory into Israeli territory.”
Hezbollah — an Iran-backed group that is considered a terrorist organization by the US and much of the Western world — said in a statement that “groups of the Islamic Resistance” fired guided missiles onto Israel, targeting the Israeli army’s Pranit barracks and Avivim barracks, “as a result of the Israeli attack on Lebanese towns and villages” and the deaths of the group’s members.
Explosions were heard for several hours as Israel’s helicopters carried out an air strike near its northern border with Lebanon. Several houses and shops were damaged, and some local residents have fled to the city of Saida, about 60 kilometers from the border, according to Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA).
A fire was also seen raging in one of the regions targeted by the raid, according to images broadcasted in Lebanese media. The blaze was a result of Israeli phosphorus bombs, the NNA said.
The IDF have not confirmed the use of incendiary bombs.
The Lebanese army said the outskirts of Al-Dhaira and Aita Al-Shaab and other border areas were “subjected to air and artillery bombardment.” The army urged citizens to avoid the areas adjacent to the border.
