Israeli warplanes strike Hezbollah targets in Lebanon

Beirut, Sep 29 (IANS) Israeli warplanes struck Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon on Sunday, the Israeli military and Lebanese sources said, marking the latest flare-up along the Israel-Lebanon border despite a ceasefire reached last year.

Lebanon's state-run National News Agency reported that Israeli aircraft carried out multiple raids on areas around Kfar Remen and Al-Jarmaq, firing air-to-ground missiles that triggered powerful explosions. A drone also targeted a house in Houmine al-Fawqa, near Nabatieh, while other drones flew at low altitude over nearby villages, Xinhua news agency reported.

Security sources told Xinhua the strikes hit Hezbollah positions that had previously been targeted, adding that at least six raids were conducted within 15 minutes around Nabatieh. There were no immediate reports of casualties.

The Israeli military said its forces struck weapons depots used by Hezbollah "to advance and carry out terror attacks against the State of Israel." Military spokesperson Avichay Adraee wrote on X that the presence of such infrastructure violated understandings between Israel and Lebanon.

A US- and French-brokered ceasefire in November 2024 ended 14 months of cross-border fighting sparked by the Gaza conflict. Israel has continued to carry out strikes in Lebanon, saying they are needed to counter Hezbollah threats.

A ceasefire was reached following a year-long cycle of cross-border attacks between Hezbollah and Israel that began in October 2023. The conflict escalated into a full-scale Israeli offensive by September 2024, resulting in more than 4,000 deaths and around 17,000 injuries.

--IANS

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