Hezbollah says it launched 60 attacks on Israeli sites and troops in past 24 hours

Hezbollah said Thursday that it carried out 60 attacks in the past 24 hours against Israeli settlements, troops, military vehicles and bases.

The Lebanese group said in successive statements that the operations came “in defense of Lebanon and its people” amid Israel’s assault on the country since March 2.

The latest attacks raised the number of Hezbollah’s operations since March 2 to 1,250, according to an Anadolu tally.

Hezbollah said it targeted six settlements in northern Israel, including Kiryat Shmona three times and Metula twice, in addition to Even Menachem, Beit Hillel, Avivim and Nahariya.

The group also said it struck 40 gatherings of Israeli soldiers and vehicles, including 25 in southern Lebanese border areas and 15 inside northern Israel in the settlements of Malkia, Metula, Yir’on and Avivim, as well as the Kfar Giladi and Marj military sites.

Hezbollah said it fired a surface-to-air missile at an Israeli helicopter over the southern Lebanese border town of Ramieh, forcing it to retreat.

It further claimed direct hits on two Merkava tanks near Khiam and Qantara, as well as an Israeli D9 bulldozer in the Tahrir Triangle area in southern Lebanon.

Hezbollah also said it struck seven military sites in northern Israel, including infrastructure in the Kiryat Ata area east of Haifa, the Krayot area north of the city and the settlement of Karmiel.

The group said the targets also included artillery positions in Khirbet Maaz and the Amiad, Filon and Dado military bases, the latter serving as the headquarters of the Israeli army’s Northern Command near Safed.

Israeli media reported earlier Thursday that six people, including two soldiers, were injured in Hezbollah attacks and armed clashes in northern Israel and southern Lebanon.

Israel has pounded Lebanon with airstrikes and launched a ground offensive in the south since a cross-border attack by Hezbollah on March 2.

Lebanese authorities said that 1,345 people have since been killed and 4,040 wounded in the Israeli assault.

The escalation came amid a joint US-Israeli offensive on Iran which has killed more than 1,340 people since Feb. 28.

Iran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, US bases and Gulf countries.