Israel says the attack targeted ‘the central headquarters’ of Hezbollah in the southern suburbs of the Lebanese capital.Israel has carried out several air raids in Lebanon’s capital Beirut that it said targeted the headquarters of Lebanese armed group Hezbollah.
The series of massive explosions sent huge clouds of smoke soaring above the densely populated Haret Hreik neighbourhood in Dahiyeh, southern Beirut, around dusk on Friday.
The Israeli military said the attack targeted the Iran-aligned group’s “central headquarters”, which it said were “embedded under residential buildings in the heart of the Dahiyeh in Beirut”.
Several buildings in the Haret Hreik neighbourhood of Dahiyeh were reduced to rubble, Hezbollah’s Al-Manar TV reported. The blast rattled windows and shook houses some 30 kilometres (18 miles) north of Beirut. Ambulances were seen heading to the scene, sirens wailing.
At least two people were killed and 76 others were wounded in the attack, Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Health said, noting that this was a preliminary toll.
“The attack in Beirut’s Haret Hreik suburb has erased a complete block close to the international airport of Beirut, and around six to nine buildings were either completely or partially destroyed,” said Al Jazeera’s Ali Hashem, reporting from Tyre in southern Lebanon.
“Israel has been working deliberately for the past weeks on hitting the southern suburb of Beirut, targeting Hezbollah commanders in different …
