Israeli airstrike targets senior Hezbollah leader in Beirut: Report

BEIRUT

An Israeli airstrike on Saturday targeted a prominent Hezbollah leader, Mohammed Haider, in Beirut, reported Israel's Public Broadcasting Corporation.

The Israeli broadcast service KAN reported that the attack, which took place in the early hours of Saturday, was aimed at assassinating Haider, a senior figure in the Lebanese group.

An unnamed Israeli security source confirmed that Haider was the target of the attack, but stopped short of confirming his death.

There was no official comment from Hezbollah on the reports as of 9.45 am GMT.

The Israeli airstrike targeted a building in the Basta area of central Beirut. Lebanon’s Civil Defense reported that rescue teams recovered 11 bodies and evacuated 23 wounded individuals from the rubble of the attack.

Israel has engaged in cross-border warfare with Lebanon, launching an air campaign in late September against what it claims are Hezbollah targets.

Over 3,600 people have been killed by Israeli attacks in Lebanon, with more than 15,300 injured and over 1 million displaced since last October, according to Lebanese health authorities.

Tel Aviv expanded the conflict by launching a ground assault into southern Lebanon on Oct. 1.

*Writing by Ikram Kouachi