Many injured as Israeli army intensifies shelling of southern Lebanon

By Wassim Saifeddin

BEIRUT (AA) - The Israeli army intensified its bombardment of several areas in southern Lebanon Wednesday morning, resulting in a number of injuries, Lebanon’s National News Agency reported.

“An Israeli drone targeted a car in the town of al-Wazzani, and the driver narrowly escaped death by jumping out of the car,” the Lebanese agency said.

It noted that the Israeli warplanes "escalated their airstrikes, targeting the town of al-Khiam twice."

The agency further reported that the Israeli warplanes “also raided the town of Yaroun in the district of Bint Jbeil in the morning, resulting in injuries."

Earlier, the agency reported that "the Israeli army fired volleys of gunfire at the border town of Kfar Kila from its positions in the Metula settlement with machine guns.”

It confirmed that "Israeli artillery targeted the town of Kfar Kila and the area of Houra between Kfar Kila and Deir Mimas, as well as the town of al-Khiam and the plain of Marjaayoun.”

Hezbollah announced in a statement earlier that its members "launched an aerial attack with a squadron of drones targeting the enemy's soldiers."

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 nearly 37,400 people since last October following an attack by the Palestinian group Hamas.​​​​​​​

*Writing by Rania Abu Shamala in Istanbul