BEIRUT, (PIC)
A series of intense Israeli airstrikes hit Beirut’s heavily-populated southern suburb on Friday evening as blasts were heard throughout the Lebanese capital, amid reports of a horrific massacre in the bombed area.
According to media sources, thick black smoke was seen billowing from the area after Israeli warplanes reportedly fired 10 missiles at al-Hreik neighborhood in the south of Beirut, reducing a number of apartment buildings to rubble.
It was not immediately clear what the target was, but Lebanese media pointed to the possibility that this attack aimed to assassinate Hezbollah secretary-general Hasan Nasrallah.
The massive explosion was so powerful it rattled windows and shook houses some several kilometers north of Beirut. Ambulances were seen heading for the scene of the explosions.
The missile attack came an hour after thousands of people attended the funeral of a top Hezbollah commander who was killed the day before.
Earlier in the day, an Israeli airstrike killed a family of nine in a Lebanese border village, medical sources said.
As Lebanon is struggling to deal with a rising death toll, tens of thousands of civilians have fled their homes in areas under constant Israeli attack.
