HEZBOLLAH HEAD NASRALLAH REPORTEDLY TARGETED IN ISRAELI AIRSTRIKES ON BEIRUT

Fri 27 September 2024:

Israel’s military launches a series of air strikes on southern Beirut saying it targeted Hezbollah’s “command centre” in Lebanon’s capital, with huge plumes of smoke in the sky and buildings collapsed.

The attack in Beirut’s Haret Hreik suburb has erased a complete block, around six to nine buildings were either completely or partially destroyed.  

Hezbollah’s Al-Manar TV says the air raids on the Haret Hreik district destroyed four buildings, turning them into a pile of rubble. The station said more than 15 missiles struck the area at the same moment.

Israel carries out air strikes on southern Beirut on September 27, escalating tensions in the region pic.twitter.com/33LI78LBe6

— TRT World (@trtworld) September 27, 2024

Footage showed at least one smouldering crater at the site of the attack.

The series of intense Israeli air attacks hit one of Beirut’s heavily populated southern suburbs as blasts were heard throughout the Lebanese capital.

For now, we don’t know how many people were killed. But when an attack with such huge explosives, huge rockets is launched towards a residential area, we will expect to see a large number of people killed, Al Jazeera’s Ali Hashem reporting from Tyre, southern Lebanon.

What we know is that Israel has been working deliberately for the past weeks on hitting the southern suburb of Beirut, targeting Hezbollah commanders in different areas to dismantle the command chain of the group.

Now, they are saying that they have hit a command headquarters.

Israeli media claiming that the leader of Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, was present at the time of the strike – though Independent Press could not verify this claim.

It was not immediately clear if Nasrallah was killed in the strike or not. If true, the targeting of Nasrallah would be a large escalation in fighting between Hezbollah-Israel, already teetering on the precipice of a full-scale war.

Nasrallah alive and ‘fine’ after Israeli strike in Beirut – reports

The leader of Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah,is alive, Reuters is reporting, citing a source close to the group, after Israeli media reports that Nasrallah was the target of an Israeli strike in Beirut on Friday.

A senior Iranian security official earlier told Reuters that Tehran is checking the status of Nasrallah.

A source close to Hezbollah said Nasrallah is “fine”, AFP is reporting.

According to Israeli spokesperson Daniel Hagari, the Israeli military targeted the Hezbollah headquarters, which was built “under residential buildings in Beirut in order to use them as human shields”.

Israeli media further claimed the army used bunker busters – large bombs capable of penetrating deep into the earth before exploding – in the attack.

“Moments ago, the Israel Defense Forces carried out a precise strike on the Central Headquarters of the Hezbollah terror organization…taking the necessary action to protect our people so that Israeli families can live in their homes, safely and securely.”

Listen to IDF… pic.twitter.com/I4hbN7KkO8

— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) September 27, 2024

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‘Panic’