UPDATE WITH ISRAELI STATEMENT
By Omar Alothmani, Mohammad Sio and Rania Abu Shamala
ISTANBUL (AA) - An Israeli drone strike on Saturday killed one person as it targeted a vehicle on the Harouf-Jibchit road in Nabatieh district in southern Lebanon, Lebanese media said.
The strike occurred near an elementary school in Harouf, the state news agency NNA reported.
The Health Ministry said one person was killed and another injured in the attack.
The Israeli army claimed that it had killed Hezbollah commander Zayn al-Abidin Fatouni in the attack. A military statement said that Fatouni was allegedly responsible for the anti-tank missile system within Hezbollah’s Radwan Force unit.
Southern Lebanon, particularly the western sector, saw intensive Israeli drone flights at low altitude over Tyre and nearby areas, including Qasmiyeh and Abu Al-Soud north of Tyre.
On Friday, two Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon killed three people and wounded two others, targeting two vehicles.
Israel has repeatedly launched airstrikes in Lebanon on claims of targeting Hezbollah infrastructure despite a ceasefire agreement that took effect in November 2024.
Under the terms of the truce, the Israeli army was supposed to fully withdraw from southern Lebanon by January 2025. However, it has so far only partially pulled out troops and continues to maintain a military presence at five border outposts.