The Israeli military said it bombed a Hezbollah weapons storage facility in Lebanon. The strike took place at Bekaa Valley in Lebanon overnight, the military said on Wednesday. This was the latest strike in a major stronghold of the powerful Iranian-backed militia.
The air attack came in hours after the Israeli Defence /minister’s statement. Yoav Gallant said that “attacking munitions warehouses in Lebanon is preparation for anything that might happen”.
Lebanon’s security sources did not confirm immediately about weapon depots being targeted. They said the strike took place near the eastern city of Baalbek in Bekaa Valley.
It was a residential area populated mainly by Shi’ite Muslims. Hezbollah draws its support from them. The airstrikes have killed 2 people and injured at least 19 people. However, whether it was civilians who died or fighters is unclear.
Hezbollah has retaliated for this strike on Bekaa region. It fired Katyusha rockets at an Israeli military logistics site in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.
RISE OF AIRSTRIKES
Another Israeli airstrike hit outskirts of the southern port city of Sidon on Wednesday. It hit a car, killing a member of the armed wing of the Palestinian faction Fatah.
In South Lebanon, Israel regularly bombs Hezbollah fighters and launches rockets. Over 620 people have died in Lebanon in the last 10 months. This includes over 130 civilians.
Targeting arms depots has picked up more recently. On Saturday and Monday, the Israeli army carried our strikes on weapons depots. At least 10 Syrian nations were killed in the Saturday airstrike. In July, Israel bombed another depot storing ammunition belonging to Hezbollah in south Lebanon too.
MIDDLE-EAST TENSIONS
Hezbollah and Israel’s military have been in conflict for the last 10 months. This is in parallel with the Gaza war. The war has caused tensions on several other fronts and has prompted a Middle-East conflict.
Most of the exchanges with Israel have been along Lebanon’s southern border. However, some Israeli strikes have occurred deeper into Lebanon such as Beqaa.
(with inputs from Reuters)
