5 killed, 21 hurt in Israeli strike on Sidon building

Five people were killed and 21 others wounded overnight when an Israeli drone struck an apartment building in the southern city of Sidon where some displaced families lived, the first such attack on Sidon during the latest escalation.

The attack likely came in response to a drone attack that killed a female Israeli soldier in north Israel. LBCI television had reported that Israel had informed the U.S. of its intention for escalation after the attack.

Mohammad Al-Gharbi, who lived across the street from the building in Sidon. woke to the sound of the explosion.

“I was in my room when part of the wall and shattered glass fell on me, and everything was thrown into chaos,” he said. "This building that was hit had six apartments occupied by poor families who had fled from the south to escape the attacks there, only to be hit here.”

In the nearby coastal town of Adloun, an Israeli drone struck a car with a family that was fleeing, killing six people including children. Another drone strike that came without warning killed two people on a motorcycle near Tyre. The target of the attack was not immediately clear, NNA reported.

The Israeli military said Thursday that a soldier in northern Israel was killed in a Hezbollah drone attack and two reservists were wounded.