Israeli drone fires missiles at aluminum plant in south Lebanon

BEIRUT (AP) — An Israeli drone fired two missiles at an aluminum plant outside the southern Lebanese market town of Nabatiyeh early Saturday, causing a fire and widespread damage, National News Agency said. There was no word on casualties.

The Israeli strike near the village of Toul is the first to hit the area since the 34-day war in 2006 between Israel and Lebanon’s militant Hezbollah group, and far from the border.

NNA said firefighters and ambulances rushed to the area, but it did not mention casualties of the strike that occurred around dawn.

Journalists who tried to reach the factory were prevented by Hezbollah members.

There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military on the strike at the factory but it did say that the Israeli army is currently striking Hezbollah targets. It said further details will follow.

A day after the Oct. 7, attack by the Palestinian militant Hamas group on southern Israel that killed about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, Hezbollah started carrying out attacks on Israeli posts along the border. Israel’s military has been carrying out artillery shelling and airstrikes on areas on the Lebanese side of the border over the past weeks.

Earlier Saturday, Hezbollah said in a statement that its fighters fired a surface-to-air missile toward an Israeli Elbit Hermes 450 drone that was flying over Lebanon.

On Friday, Hezbollah said its fighters carried out more than a dozen attacks at Israeli posts along the border, including one with two suicide drones on a post in the northern Israeli town of Metula.

Israel considers Hezbollah its most serious immediate threat, estimating it has some 150,000 rockets and missiles aimed at Israel.