Smoke rises from the town of Sajd in southern Lebanon following an Israel Defense Forces air strike in retaliation for the launching of rockets from Lebanese territory toward Israel on Saturday. Photo by Stringer/EPA-EFE
March 22 (UPI) — Israel Defense Forces struck dozens of Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon Saturday evening in response to rockets launched from Lebanon into Israel earlier Saturday.
Lebanon’s Public Health Emergency Operations Center reported six killed and 22 wounded in Israel’s air strikes on southern Lebanon Saturday evening.
Another six were wounded in evening air strikes in eastern Lebanon, according to the health authorities.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz ordered the second wave of aerial attacks as a “continuation of the first series of strikes carried out this morning,” Katz said in a prepared statement.
“The Lebanese government is responsible for everything that happens on its territory,” Katz said. “Israel will not allow any harm to its citizens and sovereignty and will act in every way to ensure the security of Israeli citizens in northern communities.”
The earlier IDF air strikes Saturday killed at least two in Southern Lebanon while targeting rocket sites and a Hezbollah command center.
At least five rockets were fired from southern Lebanon toward Israel Saturday morning, three of which the Israeli Air Force intercepted while the other two did not cross the border into Israel.
The second wave of IDF air strikes targeted Hezbollah command centers, rocket launchers, infrastructure, a weapons storage facility and terrorists, IDF officials said.
Hezbollah officials denied any involvement in launching the rockets and said they are committed to the cease-fire with Israel, the BBC reported.
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon called for restraint following the exchanges Saturday.
“We strongly urge all parties to avoid jeopardizing the progress made, especially when civilian lives and the fragile stability observed in recent months are at risk,” UNIFL officials said in a statement.
“Any further escalation of this volatile situation could have serious consequences for the region.”
UNFIL officials said the “situation remains extremely fragile” and encouraged “both sides to uphold their commitments.”
They said UNIFIL peacekeepers “remain in all positions.”