Hezbollah launches rockets and drones as Israel expands strikes across Lebanon

Shafaq News- Beirut (Updated at 14:29)

Hezbollah announced a series of rocket and drone attacks on Israeli military targets on Friday, while Israeli warplanes carried out extensive strikes across southern Lebanon and Beirut’s southern suburbs, as the confrontation between the two sides entered its fifth day.

In 10 statements, Hezbollah said the attacks came in response to Israeli aggression targeting dozens of Lebanese towns and cities, including Beirut’s southern suburbs. The group reported rocket barrages targeting the Zar’it barracks, the Yoav base in the occupied Syrian Golan, the Haifa naval base, the Sasa settlement, and the Malikiya military site near the border.

The Lebanese group also launched suicide drones at the Blat outpost, claiming direct hits, and fired rockets and artillery at Israeli military positions near Metula, Manara, Marj, Ajl Hill, and the Yiftah barracks. Hezbollah said it struck Israeli military vehicles advancing toward the outskirts of Khiam, claiming the attack forced them to withdraw, and targeted a gathering of Israeli army vehicles at a newly established site in the town of Merkaba for the third time with a rocket barrage.

Meanwhile, Israeli warplanes carried out multiple strikes overnight and into Friday morning across Beirut’s southern suburbs, Saida, Nabatieh, Baalbek, and several towns in southern Lebanon including Srifa, Hanine, Beit Lif, Souwaneh, Khiam, Qaqqaiyat al-Jisr, Ainata, Kfar Tebnit, Jibshit, Shoukin, and Kfarrman.

Lebanese media reported extensive destruction to homes and buildings, including the destruction of a mosque in Toul, where its muezzin was killed. A strike on Srifa killed one person, while another on Jibshit killed two. Israeli shelling of the Maqassed Charitable Association in Saida left five people dead and seven injured, according to preliminary figures from the Lebanese Health Ministry.

Lebanon’s Internal Security Forces announced the death of First Sergeant Ali Qassem Mazloum, who was killed on March 5 when an Israeli strike hit his vehicle in Zahle.

Since Israel launched strikes across Lebanon on March 2, the ministry said at least 123 people have been killed and 683 wounded, including women and children.