BEIRUT/JERUSALEM, Dec. 25 (Xinhua) -- Two people were killed and a third wounded in Israeli drone strikes targeting vehicles in eastern and southern Lebanon on Thursday, Lebanese sources reported, while Israel said it had killed a key Iranian operative in Lebanon.
According to Lebanon's official National News Agency, an Israeli drone struck a vehicle in the Hosh al-Sayyid Ali area of eastern Lebanon, killing two people whose bodies were taken to a hospital in the city of Hermel. A separate drone strike in the town of Jannata, in the Tyre district of southern Lebanon, wounded a passerby.
A Lebanese security source told Xinhua that the two dead were members of Hezbollah, identifying them as Hussein al-Jawhari and Majed Qansou. The source also reported Israeli ground incursions and shelling in several border villages at dawn, damaging homes and vehicles.
Meanwhile, the Israel Defense Forces and the Shin Bet domestic security agency issued a joint statement on Thursday, saying they had killed Hussein Mahmoud Marshad al-Jawhari in the southwestern Lebanese town of Ansariyah. They said he was a key member of Iran's Quds Force Unit 840 involved in planning attacks against Israel from Lebanon and Syria.
The Iranian side has not commented on the incident.
A ceasefire agreement between Hezbollah and Israel has been in force since Nov. 27, 2024.
Despite the deal, Israel has continued to carry out occasional strikes in Lebanon, saying they are aimed at eliminating Hezbollah threats. ■
