6 killed, 11 injured in Israeli strikes in S. Lebanon

BEIRUT - Six militants were killed, and 11 others injured on Friday in Israeli air strikes on several villages and towns in southern Lebanon, Lebanese military sources told Xinhua.

The sources, who spoke anonymously, said that two Hezbollah fighters were killed and a civilian was wounded in an airstrike on the village of Aita al-Shaab in the central sector of southern Lebanon, while another Hezbollah fighter was killed and two civilians wounded in a raid on the southwest town of Qana.

Three fighters from the Amal Movement were killed, and another was wounded in a raid targeting the southeast town of Jeidet Marjeyoun, the sources said.

They added that seven other people were also injured in a raid that targeted a house in the southeast village of Kfar Hamam, one of whom was a member of the Lebanese army.

Meanwhile, Hezbollah said its fighters attacked several Israeli sites, including Misgav Am, Zarit Barracks, al-Motella, Ruwaisat al-Alam, al-Sammaqa, al-Malikiyah, Bayad Blida, Khallet Warda, Branit, and Jal al-Alam.

The Lebanon-Israel border has been witnessing increased tension since Oct. 8, 2023, after Hezbollah fired dozens of rockets toward Israel in support of the Hamas attack on Israel the previous day, prompting Israel to respond by firing heavy artillery toward southeastern Lebanon.

The confrontations between Hezbollah and Israel have killed 405 people on the Lebanese side, including 260 Hezbollah members and 73 civilians, according to Lebanese security sources.