Israeli warplanes targeted and destroyed two bridges Friday on the Litani River linking the towns of Sohmor and Machghara in western Bekaa in eastern Lebanon, according to Lebanon’s National News Agency.
It said Israeli aircraft struck the bridge, while Anadolu’s correspondent reported that a second adjacent bridge was also hit and destroyed.
The Israeli army announced earlier Friday that it will target two bridges in southern Lebanon, claiming the move was aimed at “preventing the transfer of reinforcements and weapons to Hezbollah.”
The two bridges are considered key crossings in the western Bekaa region, forming part of a vital local road network that residents use for daily movement, according to media reports.
On March 23, the Israeli army destroyed the Al-Dalafa Bridge, another major crossing on the Litani River in southern Lebanon, citing similar justifications.
The Litani is Lebanon’s main river. It rises from a depression west of the Baalbek district and flows through the Bekaa Valley between the mountains of Lebanon and the country’s eastern regions.
The river lies approximately 6 - 30 kilometers (3.73-18.6 miles) from the Lebanese-Israeli border, or the Blue Line, and stretches for 170 kilometers. At its closest points, particularly in the eastern sector and Nabatieh district, it is about 4 - 6 kilometers from the border, while further west, the distance increases to around 28-30 kilometers.
Seven bridges connect its two banks, including four main crossings: Qasmiyeh, Khardali, Qaqaiyat al-Jisr and Tayr Felsay, with Qasmiyeh being the largest. It also includes a smaller branch known as the Arzi bridge, which was struck Monday. Secondary crossings include the old Qasmiyeh Bridge, Al-Dalafa (Barghoz) and Zrariyeh.
With the exception of Khardali, where Israel targeted access roads, the remaining crossings have been targeted by Israeli strikes.
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 nearly 1,368 people have since been killed and 4,138 wounded in the Israeli assault.
*Writing by Rania Abushamala in Istanbul.