Hezbollah announced early Monday that its fighters confronted a large Israeli airborne operation involving around 15 helicopters over the eastern mountain range of Lebanon near the Syrian border, amid continued Israeli airstrikes that have caused mounting civilian casualties across the country.
According to Hezbollah sources, Israeli helicopters attempted to carry out an airborne landing near the town of Nabi Chit in the eastern Bekaa region.
The group said its fighters engaged the aircraft with anti-aircraft weapons, claiming that one Israeli helicopter was shot down during the confrontation.
Lebanese security sources confirmed that intense clashes erupted in the Shaara area near the outskirts of Nabi Chit, where Israeli forces reportedly attempted to advance following the helicopter landing.
The Israeli operation was believed to be linked to efforts to locate traces of missing Israeli pilot Ron Arad, though similar operations in the area have previously failed to uncover evidence related to him.
Meanwhile, Israeli airstrikes continued across southern Lebanon. The Lebanese Ministry of Health said seven people were martyred and 30 others injured in overnight raids targeting several towns.
According to the ministry, Israeli warplanes carried out heavy bombardment on the town of Jouaya in the Tyre district, killing three people and injuring sixteen.
Additional strikes in Tebnin killed two people and wounded six others, while two more people were killed in a strike on a poultry farm in Yahmar al-Shaqif, where eight others were injured, including three Syrian children.
Lebanese officials say the death toll from Israel’s ongoing assault on Lebanon since early March has risen to 394 people, including 83 children, 42 women, and nine health workers, while 1,130 others have been injured.
Authorities also reported that Israeli strikes have damaged several hospitals in southern Lebanon and Beirut’s southern suburbs, with five hospitals forced out of service, raising concerns about the country’s strained health system.
The escalation comes amid a widening regional conflict following the US-Israeli assault on Iran, which has further fueled tensions across the region.
Source: The Palestinian Information Center
