Israel army says striking southern Lebanon, urges evacuation

A photograph taken from the southern Lebanese village of al-Hanniyeh shows smoke as it rises from the site of an Israeli airstrike that targeted the nearby village of al-Mansouri in September 5, 2026. — AFP pic

First Published: Sunday, 06 Sep 2026 12:26 PM MYT

JERUSALEM, Sept 6 — The Israeli military said today it was carrying out strikes in southern Lebanon after Hezbollah launched drones at its soldiers, and urged residents of the town of Arab Salim to evacuate.

“Terrorists from the Hezbollah terrorist organisation launched two drones towards IDF soldiers operating in the Security Zone in southern Lebanon,” the military said in a statement, adding that there were no reports of Israeli soldiers wounded.

“This constitutes a blatant violation by the Hezbollah terrorist organisation. In response, the IDF is now striking in southern Lebanon.”

In another message, the Israeli military warned residents of Arab Salim to leave ahead of imminent attacks.

“You are situated near a facility belonging to the terrorist organisation Hezbollah, against which the IDF will be operating,” it wrote in Arabic on Telegram.

Lebanon was drawn into the Middle East war in March after Iran-backed Hezbollah attacked Israel, which responded with airstrikes and a ground invasion that Lebanon says have killed more than 4,300 people.

Violence has lessened since a US-Iran memorandum of understanding on the broader conflict in June and a framework agreement between Israel and Lebanon later that month.

Israeli forces are operating inside a self-declared “security zone” around 10 kilometres (six miles) deep inside Lebanon along the border.

Authorities in Lebanon said yesterday that Israeli strikes killed four people in the country’s south and east. — AFP