Hezbollah launches air attacks on Israel in latest exchange of fire

Beirut, Oct 26 (IANS) Hezbollah has said that it launched air attacks using squadrons of suicide drones and missiles targeting the northern Israeli city of Safed and other locations in northern Israel.

The targets include Ramat David Airbase, Filon Air Force Base, the Israeli city of Karmiel, as well as Al-Manara and Kfar Giladi, two kibbutzim in Israel, and Shomera, a moshav, according to the Lebanese armed group.

It also reported on Friday the destruction of five Israeli Merkava tanks: one near the southern Lebanese village of Houla, three on the outskirts of Adaisseh, and one near Misgav Am, a kibbutz in Israel.

Lebanese military sources reported on Friday the launch of drones and around 150 surface-to-surface missiles from Lebanon into northern Israel, Xinhua news agency reported.

They also noted that Israeli drones and warplanes conducted 43 airstrikes on towns and villages in southern Lebanon and six in eastern Lebanon on Friday.

Additionally, Israeli artillery shelled 12 border towns in southern Lebanon.

Israeli warplanes conducted eight airstrikes on various areas of Beirut's southern suburbs on Friday night, according to local TV channel al-Jadeed.

According to a report released on Friday by the Lebanese Council of Ministers, the number of people killed by Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon since the war began on October 8, 2023, has reached 2,634, with 12,252 injured.

Since September 23, the Israeli army has launched an intensive air attack on Lebanon, marking a dangerous escalation with Hezbollah.

Israel intensified its raids and shelling in southern and eastern regions of Lebanon, as well as Mount Lebanon and the southern suburbs of Beirut.

Earlier this month, Israel announced the launch of a ground operation near the border with southern Lebanon.

--IANS

int/khz