By South China Morning Post | Created at 2024-11-23 13:54:45 | Updated at 2024-11-23 17:04:29
3 hours ago
A powerful air strike killed 11 people in central Beirut on Saturday, the health ministry said, shaking the capital as Israel pressed its offensive against the Iran-backed Hezbollah group.
An eight-storey building was struck with four missiles, including bunker-penetrating types designed to hit underground targets, said a Lebanese security source.
Israel has used bunker-busting weapons to kill senior Hezbollah figures, including its veteran leader Hassan Nasrallah in a strike on southern Beirut in September.
At the site of the Israeli strike in central Beirut, Amin Chirri, a member of parliament representing Hezbollah, said there had been no Hezbollah leader in the building that was struck.
The Israeli military made no comment.
Saturday’s blasts shook the capital at around 4am and left a deep crater. Beirut smelled strongly of explosives for hours afterwards.
