Beirut: Israeli airstrikes across southern Lebanon on Friday resulted in the deaths of at least six fighters and one child, according to security sources. The strikes prompted a response from Hezbollah, which launched artillery rounds and rockets into Israel.
The Israeli military has been engaged in a conflict with the Iran-backed Hezbollah along Lebanon’s southern border, intensifying amid the ongoing Gaza war and raising concerns about a potential regional conflict.
The strikes targeted the southern Lebanese towns of Mays al-Jabal and Tayr Harfa, killing four Hezbollah fighters, as confirmed by the party’s death notices and a security source. Another fighter was reported killed in a separate strike near Aitarun, though it remains unclear if the individual was affiliated with Hezbollah.
A strike on the village of Aita, located approximately 14 km (nine miles) north of the Israeli border, resulted in the deaths of a Hezbollah fighter and a child. Hezbollah identified the deceased fighter in Aita as Mohammad Najem. The Israeli military confirmed targeting Najem, citing his role in Hezbollah’s rocket and missile unit, and reported strikes on two additional Hezbollah fighters in the south.
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The military statement noted that “a number of projectiles fired from Lebanese territory” had landed in northern Israel, but no injuries were reported. Hezbollah’s press office reported retaliatory rocket and artillery fire on various Israeli military positions throughout the day.
Since the onset of clashes last October, more than 600 people in Lebanon have died, including over 400 Hezbollah fighters and more than 130 civilians, according to a Reuters toll.
