Israel cuts off key crossing into Syria

People fleeing Lebanon walk near a crater caused by an Israeli strike near the border crossing with Syria. Pic/AFP

Israel carried out a series of massive airstrikes overnight in southern suburbs of Beirut and another that cut off the main border crossing between Lebanon and Syria.
The new wave of strikes came after Israel warned people to evacuate communities in southern Lebanon that are outside a United Nations-declared buffer zone, as the yearlong conflict between Israel and Hezbollah escalates.

Israel launched a ground incursion into Lebanon on Tuesday and its forces have been clashing with Hezbollah militants in a narrow strip along the border. A series of attacks before the incursion killed some of the group's key members, including longtime leader Hassan Nasrallah.

The blasts overnight rocked Beirut's southern suburbs, sending huge plumes of smoke and flames into the night sky and shaking buildings kilometres away in the Lebanese capital. The Israeli military did not immediately comment on what the intended target was, and there was no information immediately available on casualties.

Lebanon's state-run National News Agency reported that there were more than 10 consecutive airstrikes in the area late Thursday. The agency also reported that an Israeli airstrike led to the closure of the road near the busy Masnaa Border Crossing, from which tens of thousands of people fleeing war in Lebanon have crossed into Syria.

Israel eliminates Hezb terrorist

The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) announced that they had killed Mahmoud Yusef Anisi, a senior terrorist involved in Hezbollah's precision-guided missile manufacturing chain in Lebanon. The IDF said Anisi was a significant source of knowledge and had considerable technological expertise. "Anisi joined Hezbollah over 15 years ago and was one of the leaders of the Hezbollah PGM campaign in Lebanon. He had vast technological abilities in weapons manufacturing," the IDF said.

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