ISTANBUL

The Lebanese group Hezbollah announced that it carried out five operations targeting Israeli vehicles and soldiers in various parts of southern Lebanon since early Monday.

In consecutive statements seen by Anadolu, the group claimed the attacks were carried out “in defense of Lebanon and its people.”

Hezbollah said it targeted gatherings of Israeli soldiers with rocket fire twice at the Ajloun Heights site north of the Kfar Yuval settlement and at the Hunin Gate opposite the border town of Markaba in southern Lebanon.

The group said it also targeted gatherings of Israeli vehicles and soldiers with artillery fire in Jadida Mays Al Jabal and at a newly established site on Jabal al-Bat in the southern border town of Aitaroun.

Regional tensions have flared up since Israel and the US launched joint attacks on Iran on Feb. 28, killing around 1,300 people, including then-Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Iran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel along with Jordan, Iraq and Gulf countries which it says are targeting US military assets.

The conflict also spilled over to Lebanon, with the Israeli army expanding attacks that have killed more than 800 people and injured over 2,000 others since March 2 amid cross-border attacks with Hezbollah.

*Writing by Serdar Dincel