Hezbollah claims hitting Israeli army base near Lebanon's border

By Stephanie Rady

BEIRUT (AA) - Hezbollah on Friday claimed that it carried out two successive rocket strikes on an Israeli army base near Lebanon's southern border.

In a statement, the group said it targeted the Khirbet Maar base and the positions of artillery inside with Katyusha rockets.

Another statement said that Hezbollah retargeted the base while the Israeli soldiers were gathering to assess the damage with tens of missiles.

Earlier, Hezbollah said that it targeted the Kiryat Shmona settlement in northern Israel with Katyusha rockets in response to Israeli attacks on the town of Tyre Harfa in southern Lebanon.

So far, there has been no comment from the Israeli army on the rocket strike on the Khirbet Maar base.

Meanwhile, Israeli Army Radio reported that around 35 rockets were launched from Lebanon towards the Kiryat Shmona settlement in northern Israel, causing significant damage but no injuries.

The radio did not specify whether all the rockets hit their targets or if some were intercepted.

Earlier on Friday, Israeli warplanes struck sites in the areas of Yaroun, Kafr Kila, and Blida in southern Lebanon.

For its part, Lebanon’s official news agency reported that Israeli warplanes launched five simultaneous airstrikes on the towns of Khiam, Kafrkela, Meiss El Jabal, and Rab Thalithin, in addition to a strike between the towns of Taybeh and Deir Seryan in Marjayoun in southern Lebanon.

It added that Israeli fighter jets targeted the town of Ayta Al-Shaab in Bint Jbeil with two rockets.

Tensions have risen along Lebanon's border with Israel amid cross-border attacks between Hezbollah and Israeli forces as Tel Aviv presses ahead with its deadly offensive on the Gaza Strip, which has killed more than 34,900 people since last October following a Hamas attack.

*Writing by Mohammad Sio in Istanbul