Lebanon’s Hezbollah Claims Rocket Launch into Israel Retaliates for Air Strikes
Beirut, MINA – Lebanon’s Hezbollah on Friday claimed responsibility for launching a barrage of rockets into northern Israel.
“Open land around the Israeli occupation site of Shebaa Farms was targeted with dozens of 122 mm rockets,” the group said in a statement as quoted from Anadolu Agency.
Hezbollah said the bombings were in response to Israeli air strikes on open ground in the al-Jarmaq and al-Shawakir areas on Thursday evening.
Israeli forces retaliated by firing artillery shells into the Kafr Shuba and Habariya areas in southern Lebanon.
Avichay Adraee, a spokesman for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), said Hezbollah fired 19 rockets from the northern part of Shebaa.
He claimed three of the rockets fell in Lebanon, 10 were intercepted in the air, and six landed in open areas without causing casualties or damage.
Israeli forces said on Twitter that they were “currently attacking a rocket launch site in Lebanon.”
Further tensions appeared to be imminent following a statement from the Israeli government saying Prime Minister Naftali Bennett would meet with Defense Minister Benny Gantz, IDF Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Aviv Kohavi, and senior officials at security agencies.
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) called on all parties to exercise restraint, warning that the situation there was “very serious.”
“UNIFIL has detected a rocket launch from Lebanon and returned artillery fire from Israel. This is a very serious situation and we urge all parties to stop the aggression,” UNIFIL said on Twitter.
Israeli warplane flights over the Shebaa area have increased and Israeli artillery fire is targeting hills in the Kafr Shuba and Habariya areas.
There have been no reports of injuries but the bombing has caused fires in the targeted areas.
Earlier on Friday, Shebaa reported that unidentified persons had fired missiles at Israel from the border town of Shawaya.
He said the Lebanese army had mobilized troops in the border area and had started hunting for the perpetrators.
A truck containing a missile launcher mounted on it was found abandoned in the area. (T/RE1)
Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)
