Hezbollah hits Israeli base with explosive drones

Hezbollah launched explosive drones at a northern Israeli army facility, declaring the action part of its response to recent Israeli killings in Lebanon, as sources reported three Hezbollah militants killed in an Israeli strike.

The group stated its drones attacked the Israeli army headquarters in Safed in reprisal for the assassination of Hamas deputy leader Saleh al-Arouri in Beirut last week, as well as the assassination of a Hezbollah commander on Monday.

According to a source, it was the first time the group assaulted Safed, around 14 kilometers (8 miles) from the border, since hostilities that began three months ago after Hamas attacked Israel from Gaza.

Meanwhile, an Israeli army official said an aerial attack targeted a northern base but caused no damage or casualties. The location of the incident was not specified by the spokeswoman.

More than 130 Hezbollah fighters have been killed in Lebanon during the conflict with Israel, their bloodiest clash since the two sides went to war in 2006. Tens of thousands of people have been forced to evacuate their homes on both sides of the border, raising fears that the war may worsen.

The three Hezbollah fighters killed on Tuesday died in a strike on their vehicle in the town of Ghandouriyeh in the south of Lebanon, the sources said, without identifying them.

The Israeli military stated in a statement that its air force hit Hezbollah sites near Kila – an apparent reference to the border village of Kfar Kila – as well as a drone squad belonging to the group elsewhere in southern Lebanon.

Wissam Tawil, the Hezbollah leader killed on Monday, was a commander in Hezbollah’s elite Radwan forces and the most senior Hezbollah officer killed in the battle thus far. He had taken the lead in guiding its operations in the south.

In a televised statement, Hezbollah deputy commander Naim Qassem stated that his group does not wish to spread the conflict from Lebanon, but that “if Israel expands it, the response is inevitable to the maximum extent required to deter Israel.”