The Lebanese militant group Hezbollah said on Monday that it had engaged in armed clashes with Israeli forces, which reportedly landed helicopters in eastern Lebanon. According to the Times of Israel portal, the Israeli army “does not know” about these claims by Hezbollah, reports TASR.
- Hezbollah reports armed clashes with Israeli forces in eastern Lebanon.
- The movement claims that approximately fifteen Israeli helicopters entered the area at once.
In a statement on Monday, Hezbollah said it had seen “the infiltration of approximately 15 Israeli enemy helicopters” from the Syrian side of the border in eastern Lebanon, an area where the Shiite movement has influence.
Lebanon’s state news agency NNA says there were “fierce clashes” after Israeli helicopters landed near the Nabi Shit area, where Israeli troops carried out a recent failed mission to retrieve the remains of airman Ron Arad, who has been missing since the 1980s. Hezbollah officials in the Bikaa region, which also includes the town of Nabi Shit, said one helicopter was shot down.
Lebanon was drawn into the Middle East war last week after the Iranian-backed movement attacked Israel in response to the Feb. 28 killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Intense fighting and sacrifices
Israel, which continues its attacks against Hezbollah despite a 2024 ceasefire, launched several waves of attacks in Lebanon last week and sent ground troops to border areas.
Meanwhile, in the southern suburbs of the Lebanese capital, Beirut, a loud explosion was heard on Monday and smoke rose from the area, according to an AFP correspondent. A brief statement by the Israeli military said it had “hit infrastructure belonging to the Hezbollah terrorist organization in Beirut.”
Lebanese Health Minister Raqan Nasser al-Din said on Sunday that 394 people, including 83 children and 42 women, had been killed in Israeli attacks on Lebanon in the past week.
The Israeli army reported two casualties among its soldiers who were killed in the fighting in southern Lebanon.
