Blast heard, smoke seen over Beirut’s southern suburbs, Reuters witnesses say

A blast was heard and smoke was seen over Beirut’s southern suburbs in the early hours of Saturday, Reuters witnesses said, shortly after the Israeli military issued two alerts for residents of the area to immediately evacuate.

The first alert on Saturday called on residents specifically present in a building at Burj al-Barajneh neighborhood. The second alert mentioned those present in a building at Choueifat district.

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The third alert mentioned buildings in the areas of Burj al-Barajneh and Haret Hreik.

The strikes on Beirut come as fighting between the Lebanese Hezbollah group and Israel rages amid Israel’s military escalation in the country.

Moments after the Israeli strike, Hezbollah announced that it was engaged in ongoing clashes with Israeli troops in the Lebanon border area, after earlier saying it forced Israeli soldiers to retreat there.

“Israeli enemy soldiers renewed an attempt to advance towards the vicinity of the municipality in the village of Adaysseh”, and Hezbollah fighters confronted the attempt “and clashes are continuing”, the group said in a statement, after earlier saying its fighters had forced Israeli troops to “retreat” in the same area.

With agencies

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