Smoke rises from the site of an Israeli airstrike that targeted a neighborhood in one of Beirut’s southern suburbs early on 1 October, 2024. Photo: AFP
Israel's widely expected ground invasion of Lebanon appears to be getting under way as its military says troops had begun 'limited' raids against Hezbollah targets in the border area.
The military said in a statement that its targets were located in villages close to the border that posed "an immediate threat to Israeli communities in northern Israel." It said the air force and artillery were supporting ground forces with "precise strikes."
Local residents in the Lebanese border town of Aita al-Shaab reported heavy shelling and the sound of helicopters and drones overhead.
Israel told the US it planned to launch a ground incursion into Lebanon, multiple reports from the US say.
It comes days after Israel killed the head of the Lebanese armed group, Hassan Nasrallah, in an escalation of regional tensions.
- Reuters
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