Israeli strikes target south, airport road, and Aramoun
Israeli airstrikes rained down on three neighborhoods in Beirut's southern suburbs early Tuesday, Lebanese state media reported, as Lebanon said more than one million people had been displaced in two weeks of fighting.
Lebanon was drawn into the Middle East war on March 2 when Tehran-backed Hezbollah militants attacked Israel in response to the killing of Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in U.S.-Israeli strikes.
Israel has responded with broad air raids on its northern neighbor and troop incursions into border areas
"A series of raids and artillery shelling targeted southern towns at dawn," Lebanon's National News Agency said.
"Israeli warplanes carried out two airstrikes targeting the Kafaat and Haret Hreik areas" and another airstrike on a residential apartment building in the Aramoun area, NNA added.
Later in the day, Israeli strikes targeted al-Laylaki, Burj al-Barajneh and al-Jamous in Beirut's southern suburbs.
"Israeli warplanes launched a raid, the third today on the southern suburbs, targeting the old airport road near the Ansar Stadium in the Burj al-Barajneh area," a short distance from Beirut International Airport, state media reported.
A person was killed in the strike and nine people were wounded.
The Lebanese civil aviation authority, in a statement to state media, said the airport continued to operate normally and that the road leading to it remained passable.
Israel confirmed it had carried out the attacks, saying it was targeting Hezbollah.
Israel said earlier it had launched a "wide scale wave of strikes" in the Iranian capital Tehran and was also targeting Hezbollah infrastructure in Beirut.
The strikes on the south targeted several towns and villages including Zebqine, Aitit, Yohmor, Bint Jbeil, al-Taybeh, Burj Qalaway, al-Khiam, al-Ghandouriyyeh, Qaaqaiyyet al-Jesser, Bnaafoul, Habboush, Kafra, Arab al-Jal, al-Jmayjme, killing at least 5 people.
Lebanon's army said five of its soldiers were hurt after the morning airstrike on the village of Qaaqaiyyet al-Jesser.
Two of the five soldiers were seriously wounded, and one of them later died of his wounds.
The army said the troops were hurt while travelling in a car and a motorcycle. They were all taken to hospital for treatment.
Israeli strikes have killed 886 people, including 67 women and 111 children, since the start of the fresh fighting with Iran-backed Hezbollah, Lebanon's health ministry said Monday, adding that 2,141 others have been wounded.
Lebanese authorities said more than one million people have registered as displaced since March 2, with more than 130,000 people staying in upwards of 600 collective shelters.
The Israeli military has issued sweeping evacuation warnings for southern Lebanon, extending more than 40 kilometers from its border.
Defense Minister Israel Katz has warned that displaced Lebanese should not return home "south of the Litani area until the safety of residents in the north (of Israel) is guaranteed".
Source: Agence France Presse
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