Beirut/Jerusalem: Israel's military says it has killed more than half of all Hezbollah commanders in southern Lebanon, after artillery and fighter jets struck about 40 targets near the border between the two countries.
It came after Hezbollah launched a complex drone strike on an Israeli border town, in response to earlier attacks by Israel.
A Lebanese villager looks out of a broken window of his house damaged by Israeli shelling in Kfar Kila, a border town with Israel, last week.Credit: AP
Hezbollah and Israel, backed by Iran, have been locked in their worst hostilities in nearly two decades since war broke out in Gaza in October, raising concerns about the risk of a wider and more destructive conflict between the heavily armed enemies.
The Israel Defense Forces said the attacks around Ayta al-Shaab, about 3 kilometers inside the Lebanese border, had hit infrastructure, including storage facilities and weapons, in an area that was reportedly used extensively by Hezbollah forces.
“There is continuous offensive action by IDF forces throughout southern Lebanon, as well as in other parts of Lebanon. The operational results are very impressive,” Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said in a statement after 'an operational meeting at the Army's Northern Command. He said half of Hezbollah's commanders in southern Lebanon had been killed.
People walk past a building destroyed by Israeli bombing in Kfar Kila, south Lebanon. Hezbollah militants and Israeli forces have been exchanging fire since a day after the war between Israel and Hamas began on October 7.Credit: AP
A Hezbollah official dismissed the claim as “completely pointless” and only intended to boost Israel's morale. He said the group regularly released pictures and biographical details of fighters killed in the fighting.
On Wednesday, the movement held a funeral for a senior commander, Hussein Azkoul, killed earlier this week by Israel.
Speaking at the funeral, Hezbollah MP Hassan Fadlallah said Azkoul had played a role in developing Hezbollah's drone and missile capabilities, taking the battle with Israel to “a new phase.”
