Shafaq News- Beirut
Hezbollah and Israel exchanged heavy fire on Saturday as cross-border clashes, airstrikes, and drone activity escalated across southern Lebanon and northern Israel.
In a series of statements, Hezbollah reported that it lured an Israeli force into an ambush during its advance from Taybeh toward the Litani River, claiming the operation caused casualties and injuries among the troops.
The group also described anti-tank engagements and close-range clashes along the southern frontier, targeting Merkava tanks in Deir Seryan, Qantara, Taybeh, and Dibl. The Israeli military later confirmed that a commander and seven soldiers were injured in two separate incidents during clashes with Hezbollah fighters in southern Lebanon, without providing further details.
Air raid sirens sounded in the Israeli towns of Metula and Zarit in the Western Galilee after missiles were detected. Residents across the Galilee, Haifa Bay, and Acre repeatedly took shelter, with Israeli radio reporting that sirens had sounded 18 times since midnight. Channel 12 also reported that Israeli air defenses intercepted three drones, while a fourth detonated in an open area near Yokneam.
Meanwhile, Israeli strikes continued across southern Lebanon, hitting areas in the Marjayoun, Nabatieh, and Tyre districts, Lebanese media reported. Shelling and air raids struck Yohmor al-Shaqif, Zawtar, Froun, Ghandoorieh, Burj Qalawiyeh, and Wadi al-Slouqi, with some accounts pointing to the use of phosphorus munitions.
In a post on X, Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee reported that Israeli forces struck dozens of Hezbollah sites across southern Lebanon, targeting weapons depots, rocket launch positions, and other military infrastructure. He added that two senior Hezbollah members were killed in separate strikes: Ayoub Hussein Yaacoub, described as a senior operative in the group’s communications unit, was killed in an airstrike in Beirut, while Yasser Mohammed Mubarak, identified as another senior figure in the same unit, was killed in a strike in southern Lebanon.