Israeli artillery pounds southern Lebanese towns overnight

Israeli forces carried out heavy artillery shelling and explosions targeting several towns in southern Lebanon overnight and into early Saturday, extensively damaging residential areas in what Lebanese state media described as an intense bombardment of border communities.

Border towns targeted

Heavy Israeli artillery fire struck the town of Mansouri, the vicinity of Bayt al-Sayyad and the outskirts of Majdal Zoun early Saturday, Lebanon's official National News Agency reported. The barrage also included extensive explosions across these same communities throughout the night, the agency stated.

Civilian damage and surveillance

Homes in Bayt al-Sayyad suffered extensive destruction with no residential structures left undamaged by the bombardment, according to the state media report. Similar explosions were reported in the towns of Hadatha, Beit Yahoun and Aita al-Jabal, while machine-gun fire echoed through nearby valleys. Israeli drones maintained continuous flights over villages and towns in the western and central sectors of southern Lebanon throughout the operation, the agency added.