Israeli airstrikes target heavy machinery yards in southern Lebanon, destroy over 300 vehicles: Report

ISTANBUL

The Israeli army on Saturday carried out airstrikes on six heavy machinery yards along the Al-Msayleh road in southern Lebanon, destroying more than 300 vehicles, according to local media.

The state news agency NNA, citing a Health Ministry statement, said a Syrian national was killed in the attack, while another Syrian and six Lebanese citizens, including two women, were injured.

It said that more than 300 vehicles, including bulldozers and excavators, were destroyed, causing an estimated loss of hundreds of millions of dollars.

The facilities, including buildings and tents, as well as many cars parked in the area, were also destroyed.

“The exhibition sites that were completely destroyed are considered among the largest and most prominent heavy machinery exhibition sites in Lebanon,” the agency said.

It added that the airstrikes left the area engulfed in flames and Al-Msayleh road was closed due to significant damage.

The Israeli army claimed that the attack hit and destroyed Hezbollah's infrastructure in the area, where engineering equipment was allegedly used to rebuild the group’s infrastructure in the region.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun denounced the Israeli attack as “a blatant act of aggression.”

“The seriousness of this assault lies in the fact that it comes after the ceasefire agreement in Gaza,” Aoun said, warning against a possible Israeli attempt to move the conflict to Lebanon.

Separately, Israeli drones were reported flying over Lebanon’s capital Beirut, and the southern suburbs since early Saturday, according to NNA.

The news agency said an Israeli drone targeted a car near a school in the Al-Tabbaleh neighborhood of Qalaouiyeh town, killing one person.

A ceasefire was reached in November 2024 following a year-long cycle of cross-border attacks between Hezbollah and Israel that began in October 2023. The conflict escalated into a full-scale Israeli offensive by September 2024, resulting in more than 4,000 deaths and around 17,000 injuries.

Under the terms of the truce, Israel was supposed to fully withdraw from southern Lebanon by January. But it has so far only partially pulled out troops and continues to maintain a military presence at five border outposts.