Israel targets border towns in southern Lebanon

By Zein Khalil and Wassim Saif Al-Din

ISTANBUL (AA) - Tensions on the Israel-Lebanon border are simmering, with frequent skirmishes reported since the Oct. 7 attacks in Gaza.

An Israeli drone on Saturday targeted border towns in southern Lebanon, the official Lebanese news agency said, explaining that a spy aircraft had been flying over the area since the morning.

Separately, Israeli forces were said to have fired more than 20 shells on the outskirts of the Labouneh region and the border town of Alma al-Shaab.

State media said outskirts of the Naqoura border area were also subjected to Israeli bombardment, targeting the Jal al-Alam area.

Meanwhile, the Israeli military said it shot down a surface-to-air missile that was fired from Lebanese territory.

Lebanese group Hezbollah and the Israeli army have intermittently exchanged fire since the latest conflict broke out in Gaza on Oct. 7, prompting fears of escalation into a bigger confrontation.

The conflict began when the Palestinian group Hamas initiated Operation Al-Aqsa Flood -- a multi-pronged surprise attack that included a barrage of rocket launches and infiltrations into Israel by land, sea, and air.​​​​​​​

Israel responded with an uninterrupted campaign of air raids, which intensified Friday night along with ground activities amid a complete blackout of telecommunications and internet networks.

*Writing by Ikram Kouachi