Israeli Soldiers Injured in Clashes with Hezbollah; Senior Operatives Targeted in Beirut Strike

Two Israeli soldiers sustained serious injuries, and seven others were moderately wounded during engagements with Hezbollah in southern Lebanon on Friday and overnight into Saturday, according to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). The incidents occurred amid continued rocket and drone attacks by Hezbollah on northern Israel.

On Friday, two officers were injured by anti-tank missile fire during a confrontation with Hezbollah operatives; one was seriously wounded, and the other moderately injured. In a separate overnight incident, an officer was seriously wounded, and six troops were moderately hurt by Hezbollah rocket fire in southern Lebanon.

Hezbollah's intensified rocket fire has targeted areas in Israel beyond the northern border communities, resulting in civilian casualties. The IDF has reported that Hezbollah is launching most of its attacks from deeper within southern Lebanon, including areas north of the Litani River.

In response, the IDF conducted airstrikes in Beirut overnight, targeting senior members of Hezbollah's communications unit. The strike killed Ayyoub Hussein Yaacoub and Yasser Mohammad Mubarak, both responsible for maintaining communication systems within Hezbollah. The military stated that Yaacoub previously held a senior role in Hezbollah's rocket unit and was involved in numerous attacks on Israel, while Mubarak held positions in both the rocket and communications units.

The IDF also reported that Israeli Air Force and Navy forces targeted dozens of Hezbollah sites across Lebanon overnight, including weapon depots, rocket launchers, and buildings used by the group. These operations were part of support for ground troops operating in the south of the country.

Lebanon's state-run National News Agency reported a series of strikes at dawn on the town of Majdal Selm and successive strikes on the towns of Kafra, Hanniyeh, Touline, and Adloun. The agency also reported strikes on the city of Nabatieh, affecting residential and commercial buildings and a fuel station.

The IDF stated that it has killed at least 770 Hezbollah operatives in Lebanon since hostilities resumed, including hundreds of members of the group's elite Radwan Force. This figure includes operatives definitively identified by Israeli intelligence, suggesting the actual number may be higher.

According to Lebanese authorities, Israeli strikes on the country in the same period have resulted in at least 1,142 deaths, including 122 children. These figures do not differentiate between combatants and civilians.