Israel says it made ‘targeted strike’ in Beirut as Lebanon reels from pager blasts

The Israeli subject said it carried retired a “targeted strike” successful the Lebanese superior connected Friday, portion 2 information sources told Reuters the confederate suburbs of Beirut had been hit.

Hezbollah’s al-Manar TV reported “an attack” connected the area.

“The IDF (Israel Defense Forces) conducted a targeted onslaught successful Beirut. At this moment, determination are nary changes successful the Home Front Command antiaircraft guidelines,” the Israeli subject said, providing nary further details.

A heavy unreality of fume could beryllium seen rising implicit the capital, according to a Reuters unrecorded feed, aft residents said they heard a large blast.

Hezbollah pounded bluish Israel with 140 rockets Friday, a time aft the militant group’s person Hassan Nasrallah vowed to retaliate against Israel for a wide bombing attack, the Israeli subject and the militant radical said.

Israel’s subject said the rockets came successful 3 waves Friday day targeting sites on the ravaged borderline with Lebanon.

Hezbollah said it had targeted respective sites on the borderline with Katyusha rockets, including aggregate aerial defence bases arsenic good arsenic the office of an Israeli armored brigade they said they’d struck for the archetypal time.

Hezbollah said the rockets were successful retaliation for Israeli strikes connected villages and homes successful confederate Lebanon.

Hezbollah and Israel person exchanged near-daily occurrence since Oct. 8, a time aft the Israel-Hamas conflict’s opening salvo, but Friday rocket barrages were heavier than normal.

Nasrallah connected Thursday vowed to support up regular strikes connected Israel contempt this week’s deadly sabotage of its members’ connection devices, which helium described arsenic a “severe blow.”

Two days of attacks wide blamed connected Israel targeted thousands of Hezbollah pagers and walkie-talkies, and person heightened fears that astir a twelvemonth of near-daily exchanges of occurrence betwixt Hezbollah and Israel volition escalate into all-out war.

Israel has neither confirmed nor denied engagement successful the attacks.

–with files from Associated Press