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Israel launched a wave of airstrikes across southern Lebanon on Sunday, in what it called a pre-emptive strike on Hezbollah targets.
The Israeli military said Hezbollah was planning to launch a barrage of rockets and missiles toward Israel. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said around 100 fighter jets had “struck and destroyed thousands of Hezbollah rocket launcher barrels” at more than 40 sites.
“The IDF is striking terror targets in Lebanon from which Hezbollah was planning to launch attacks on Israeli civilians,” Israeli military spokesperson Daniel Hagari said, adding it was a “self-defense act.”
Hezbollah later announced that it had also started “phase one” of an attack on Israeli military positions, firing around 320 Katyusha rockets and drones towards Israel and targeting 11 military sites.
It comes after Fuad Shukr, one of Hezbollah’s top commanders, was killed in an Israeli airstrike on Beirut in July.
The exchange of fire appears to have ended by mid-morning, and both sides said they had confined their attacks to military targets, according to the Associated Press.
This is a breaking story. More to follow.