Israel drone strikes deep into Lebanese territory

AFP | London

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

An Israeli drone struck yesterday a vehicle deep in Lebanese territory, official media in Lebanon said, after weeks of skirmishes mainly limited to border areas since the Israel-Hamas war began.

Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA) said “an enemy drone targeted a pick-up truck” on a farmland in the Zahrani area on Lebanon’s coast, some 45 kilometres (28 miles) from the Israeli border, without reporting any casualties.

The frontier between the two countries has seen daily exchanges of fire, mainly between Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah movement and Israel, since October 7 when attacks on Israel by Palestinian militant group Hamas sparked war.

Yesterday’s was the deepest Israeli strike on Lebanese territory since the latest hostilities began. It also came hours before Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah was due to make a televised address at 3:00 pm (1300 GMT).

The Lebanese army prevented journalists from approaching the area, which is near the Zahrani power plant, one of Lebanon’s ailing energy facilities.

The NNA reported Israeli attacks on areas near the border yesterday, while an AFP correspondent in northern Israel reported apparent incoming rocket fire after air raid sirens sounded.

Hezbollah said it carried out two cross-border attacks on Israeli troops yesterday, claiming they caused casualties.