Israeli army shells several villages in southern Lebanon

ANKARA

The Israeli army on Friday evening launched a series of airstrikes on targets in villages of southern Lebanon, saying it was in response to attacks on northern Israel by the Hezbollah group.

The Israeli army said in a statement that its fighter jets struck the villages of Labbouneh, Ramya and Aita al-Shaab, claiming to hit the infrastructure of the Hezbollah group in the villages.

The official Lebanese news agency NNA also reported Israeli shells fired in the vicinity of Tallet Ruwaiseh and Wadi al-Jamal areas in the south of the country.

The Hezbollah group, for its part, said its fighters targeted several Israeli military sites, including the Al-Malikiyah site which said it attacked it "with appropriate weapons, and achieved direct hits."

Tensions have escalated along Lebanon’s border with Israel since the Israeli army launched a deadly military offensive on the Gaza Strip following Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack, amid an exchange of cross-border fire between Hezbollah and Israeli forces.

The clashes between them are the deadliest since the two sides had fought a full-scale war in 2006.

Writing by Ahmed Asmar