Israeli airstrikes kill 5 in southern Lebanon

ISTANBUL

At least five people were killed in a series of Israeli airstrikes targeting multiple areas in southern Lebanon on Thursday, Lebanese media reported.

The state-run National News Agency (NNA) said three people were killed in a strike that hit the Saf al-Hawa area in the city of Bint Jbeil.

Two more were killed when Israeli warplanes bombed a residential and commercial building in the al-Maaqil neighborhood in the town of Kfar Rumman in Nabatieh, NNA said.

The building was completely destroyed in the strike, the same source said.

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

Lebanese authorities say at least 1,094 people have been killed and 3,119 injured in Israeli attacks since then.

The current 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.