Israel Air Force fighter pilots carried out air strikes deep in Lebanese territory late Wednesday night, according to reports in Lebanese media.
The IDF did not report the attacks, and did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
The warplanes attacked terrorist positions in a forested area near the town of Bouslaiya in the Jebal Safi area, about 50 kilometers (31 miles) from a central location on the Lebanese border with Israel. (If one measures the distance from Metula, Israel’s northernmost city, the distance is much closer — about 25 kilometers (15 miles)). Among the targets was a Hezbollah-linked former medical center in the town.
The attacks followed a day in which Hezbollah continued multiple rocket attacks aimed at northern Israel, and the IDF responded with limited attacks in return.
In terms of measurement, the strikes did not take place so “deep” in to Lebanon although it was deeper than the IDF has ventured during the current war. And it is “very deep” in relation to the daily attack areas taking place, the Abu Ali Express website points out.
Hezbollah continued to fire rockets at northern Israel overnight, and rocket fire was launched at Israel from Syria, after a day in which the terrorists continued their tit-for-tat clashes with Israeli forces.
According to the Hezbollah-linked Al Mayadeen channel, the IDF fired 180 shells at Maroun al-Ras in an attack Thursday morning. Northern Israeli communities near the Lebanese border were place on alert, with gates and roads closed to the public.
“Overnight and this morning (Thursday), an IDF fighter jet and aircraft struck Hezbollah terrorist infrastructure, and a launcher that was used to fire toward Israel yesterday.
IDF artillery also struck in Lebanon,” the IDF reported.
Red Alert sirens were trigged in the Golan Heights in the late hours of Wednesday night, followed by four rockets fired at Israel from Syria.
In response, the IDF attacked the sources of the rocket fire, as well as a Syrian Army military post for good measure.
Shortly before the Syrian attack, IDF fighter jets struck a Hezbollah operational command center in Lebanon, in addition to a terrorist cell that was approaching the Israeli border security fence near Metula.
During the day on Wednesday, two surface-to-air missiles were launched toward an IAF helicopter, but missed. “Additional missile launches toward Israel were identified, and an interceptor was launched during the incident,” the IDF said. IDF artillery struck targets in Lebanon in response to the attack.
Rocket fire from Lebanon was also aimed at Goren and Manara in northern Israel. “IDF artillery and tanks struck a number of locations in Lebanon in order to remove a threat and also struck additional terrorist infrastructure,” the IDF said.
IAF fighter jets, helicopters, and aircraft struck Hezbollah terrorist infrastructure, a military compound, launch posts, a command center, and a weapons depot.
Anti-aircraft missiles were fired earlier in the day at IDF helicopters flying over Lebanon. The anti-aircraft fire did not hit the helicopters, nor did it deter further Israeli aerial missions. IDF fighter jets reportedly flew at a low altitude over Beirut and Marjayoun — another Hezbollah hotspot — in an aerial message to the terrorists.
Both the IDF and Hezbollah have been gradually increasing the number and intensity of their daily attacks as the likelihood of an open war between the two draws closer.
