UPDATE - 9 people injured in Israeli drone strike in southern Lebanon despite ceasefire

UPDATES NUMBER OF INJURIES

By Wassim Seifeddine, Betul Yilmaz, and Ahmed Asmar

BEIRUT/ISTANBUL (AA) - Nine civilians, including two children, were injured in an Israeli drone strike in southern Lebanon on Tuesday, in the latest violation of a ceasefire agreement, the Health Ministry said.

A statement by the ministry’s Emergency Operations Center said the injuries occurred when an Israeli drone hit a motorcycle on Mansouri-Majdal Zoun road in the Tyre district.

The ministry said three people were in serious condition after the attack.

A local education league said the Israeli strike took place near a school in the area, causing panic among students and teachers.

There was no immediate Israeli comment on the drone strike.

A fragile ceasefire has been in place in Lebanon since November, ending months of cross-border warfare between Israel and the Lebanese group Hezbollah, which escalated into a full-scale conflict in September.

Lebanese authorities have reported nearly 3,000 Israeli violations of the truce, including the deaths of nearly 200 people and the injuries of around 500 others.

Under the ceasefire deal, Israel was supposed to fully withdraw from southern Lebanon by Jan. 26, but the deadline was extended to Feb. 18 after Israel refused to comply. It still maintains a military presence at five border outposts.