Three Hezbollah Members Killed in Targeted Strike in Southern Lebanon

Smoke billows following an Israeli air strike on the southern Lebanese village of Kfar Kila near the border with Israel on January 9, 2024, amid ongoing cross-border tensions as fighting continues between Israel and Hamas militants in Gaza. (AFP)

10:24-9 January 2024 AD ـ 29 Jumada Al-Alkhirah 1445 AH

10:19-9 January 2024 AD ـ 29 Jumada Al-Alkhirah 1445 AH

10:24-9 January 2024 AD ـ 29 Jumada Al-Alkhirah 1445 AH

10:19-9 January 2024 AD ـ 29 Jumada Al-Alkhirah 1445 AH

Three Hezbollah Members Killed in Targeted Strike in Southern Lebanon

Hezbollah launched explosive drones at an army base in northern Israel on Tuesday, declaring the attack part of its response to recent Israeli assassinations in Lebanon, as sources reported three Hezbollah fighters killed in an Israeli strike.

The group said its drones had hit the Israeli army headquarters in Safed as part of retaliation for last week's killing of deputy Hamas leader Saleh al-Arouri in Beirut, and in response to Monday's killing of a Hezbollah commander.

A source familiar with Hezbollah operations said it marked the first time the group had attacked Safed, some 14 km (8 miles) from the border, during hostilities that began three months ago after Hamas attacked Israel from the Gaza Strip.

An Israeli army spokesperson said a northern base was hit in an aerial attack but there had been no damage or casualties. The spokesperson did not say precisely where the incident occurred.

More than 130 Hezbollah fighters have been killed in Lebanon during the hostilities with Israel, their worst confrontation since they went to war in 2006. The violence has forced tens of thousands of people to flee homes on both sides of the border, and has raised concern the conflict could intensify and spread further.

The three Hezbollah fighters killed on Tuesday died in a strike on their vehicle in the town of Ghandouriyeh in the south of Lebanon, the sources said, without identifying them.

In a statement, the Israeli military said its air force attacked Hezbollah targets in Kila - an apparent reference to the Lebanese border village of Kfar Kila - and a drone squad belonging to the group elsewhere in southern Lebanon.

The Hezbollah commander killed on Monday, Wissam Tawil, was a commander in the party's elite Radwan forces and the most senior Hezbollah officer killed so far in the conflict. He had played a leading role in directing its operations in the south.

Hezbollah deputy leader Naim Qassem, in a televised speech on Tuesday, said his group did not want to expand the war from Lebanon, "but if Israel expands (it), the response is inevitable to the maximum extent required to deter Israel".

Hospital Says 5 People Killed in Gaza

Palestinians walk amid war-damaged buildings in Gaza City, Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)

Asharq Al Awsat

09:44-3 October 2026 AD ـ 22 Rabi’ Al-Thani 1448 AH

Asharq Al Awsat

09:44-3 October 2026 AD ـ 22 Rabi’ Al-Thani 1448 AH

Hospital Says 5 People Killed in Gaza

Palestinians walk amid war-damaged buildings in Gaza City, Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)

Israeli strikes overnight in Gaza killed five people, according to al-Shifa Hospital, where the casualties were taken. Four women were among the dead. A mother and daughter among them were Christians, a minority in Gaza, the hospital said,

A large fire burned at the site, where the strikes tore a gaping hole in the ground floor of a multistory building. The hospital said people were still reported missing beneath the debris.

Israel's military did not immediately comment, saying it was checking for information.

Israeli strikes have killed at least 1,439 Palestinians in Gaza since a ceasefire was reached with the Hamas militant group nearly a year ago, according to the territory’s Health Ministry. Its figures are seen as generally reliable by UN agencies and independent experts. It does not give a breakdown of civilians and militants.

Israel says it is targeting Hamas and other militants who pose a threat, and in response to ceasefire violations, including occasional attacks.

Arab World

Aoun: Army, Security Forces Sole Authorities Responsible for Lebanese Security

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun meets with a delegation from the southern town of Deir Mimas (National News Agency).

Beirut: Asharq Al Awsat

09:37-3 October 2026 AD ـ 22 Rabi’ Al-Thani 1448 AH

Beirut: Asharq Al Awsat

09:37-3 October 2026 AD ـ 22 Rabi’ Al-Thani 1448 AH

Aoun: Army, Security Forces Sole Authorities Responsible for Lebanese Security

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun meets with a delegation from the southern town of Deir Mimas (National News Agency).

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said the army and state security forces alone were responsible for citizens’ security, as Israeli attacks continued across southern Lebanon and Maronite bishops called for all weapons to be brought under state control.

Aoun made the remarks during a meeting with a delegation from Deir Mimas, a predominantly Christian town south of the Litani River, where he reaffirmed the state’s commitment to residents facing Israeli attacks and displacement.

He described the determination of southern residents to remain on their land as the strongest response to Israeli displacement and intimidation, pledging continued support for those who stayed in their villages and those forced to flee.

Municipal chief Tania Bernaba welcomed Aoun’s insistence that weapons remain exclusively in state hands and that decisions on war and peace rest with its legitimate institutions, particularly the army and security forces.

She outlined the town’s difficult security, economic and humanitarian conditions, stressing that residents wanted to remain connected to state institutions and services rather than feel abandoned or isolated.

In response, Aoun expressed solidarity with residents affected by Israeli attacks and pledged that the state would provide protection and support wherever security conditions permitted.

“The Lebanese army and legitimate security forces will be the sole authorities responsible for citizens’ security,” he said, describing the state’s responsibility toward southern residents as a non-negotiable national priority.

He added that political, diplomatic and negotiating efforts were continuing to halt Israeli attacks, secure a complete withdrawal from occupied territory and deploy the army to the internationally recognized southern border.

Maronite bishops back negotiations

Aoun’s position was echoed by the Council of Maronite Bishops, which condemned continued Israeli attacks on southern Lebanon following its monthly meeting in Bkerke.

The bishops urged the international community to help displaced residents return to their homes, support ongoing negotiations and back efforts to place all weapons under state control.

Meanwhile, several residents of Nabatieh al-Fawqa entered their town on foot despite Israeli threats, coinciding with Prime Minister Nawaf Salam’s visit to Nabatieh.

Their return underscored the determination of southern residents to reclaim their homes, while highlighting the gap between government efforts to restore normal life and conditions on the ground, where Israeli threats and military operations continue.

Israeli attacks continue across southern Lebanon

The political statements came amid continued Israeli military operations across several southern towns, including artillery shelling, airstrikes and demolitions.

Field reports indicated that Israeli artillery targeted Mays al-Jabal, while troops fired machine guns toward the outskirts of Baraachit and carried out major demolitions in Beit Lif and Aitaroun, in the Bint Jbeil district.

Israeli aircraft also launched two rounds of strikes on Mansouri, south of Tyre, where a powerful explosion sent tremors through Tyre and neighboring towns.

In Majdal Zoun, Israeli forces carried out two successive demolitions after artillery struck Beit Yahoun, Mansouri, Wadi Zibqin and Wadi al-Slouqi at dawn. Machine-gun fire was also reported toward Hadatha and the outskirts of Baraachit.

Arab World

Sudanese Army Expands Control in North Kordofan

Sudanese army soldiers take part in a military parade in Gedaref on August 17 (AFP).

Kampala: Ahmed Younes

09:00-3 October 2026 AD ـ 22 Rabi’ Al-Thani 1448 AH

Kampala: Ahmed Younes

09:00-3 October 2026 AD ـ 22 Rabi’ Al-Thani 1448 AH

Sudanese Army Expands Control in North Kordofan

Sudanese army soldiers take part in a military parade in Gedaref on August 17 (AFP).

The Sudanese army said Friday it had recaptured the strategic town of Al-Mazroub in North Kordofan, a week after retaking Sodari, as a deadly drone strike on student housing in the state capital, El-Obeid, highlighted the growing use of unmanned aircraft in the conflict.

The developments come as the UN Security Council prepares for fresh negotiations over a US proposal to extend the arms embargo on Darfur to all of Sudan.

In a statement, the army’s General Command said its troops and allied forces had retaken Al-Mazroub after “fierce battles,” inflicting heavy casualties and vehicle losses on the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

The army pledged to continue operations on all fronts, protect civilians and secure property, urging residents of recaptured areas to resume their normal lives.

Mohamed Deidan, spokesman for the Special Operations Forces in North Kordofan, announced on Facebook that army troops had entered Al-Mazroub at 9 a.m. Friday, a development corroborated by field sources.

Located about 130 kilometers northwest of El-Obeid, Al-Mazroub is an important livestock market that has also served as a military supply route during the war. It had long been under RSF control.

Witnesses reported that RSF fighters withdrew from the town in September but returned after the army captured Sodari, before retreating again as government forces advanced Friday morning.

Holding Al-Mazroub strengthens the army’s ability to monitor movements west of Bara and restrict the town’s use as a transit and supply hub. Consolidating the gain, however, depends on securing surrounding roads and rural areas.

The advance follows recent army gains in Sodari, Um Sharo, Bara, Jabra al-Sheikh and Um Sayala. Field reports indicated that RSF units had retreated toward Um Badr, Hamrat al-Sheikh and the state’s far west, although their current positions remain independently unverified.

Kordofan’s strategic importance stems from its location linking central Sudan to Darfur, making control of its towns and roads critical to troop movements and supply lines.

Meanwhile, the Sudan Doctors Network reported that five people were killed and 47 wounded in a drone strike on University of Kordofan student housing in El-Obeid.

The network blamed the RSF, describing the attack as an escalation in strikes against civilian and educational facilities.

The paramilitary group made no immediate comment, and responsibility for the strike could not be independently established.

El-Obeid has faced repeated drone attacks in recent weeks, reflecting the weapon’s growing use alongside ground operations.

Burhan addresses military recruits

In Khartoum, Sudan’s Sovereignty Council chairman and army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan told newly admitted military academy recruits that the armed forces must safeguard the country’s security and unity, with loyalty transcending political, tribal and regional affiliations.

He described the army as a national institution serving all Sudanese and urged recruits to develop their military and technical skills to keep pace with advances in weaponry and equipment.

The Security Council is expected to revisit Sudan sanctions before the current temporary extension expires on October 9.

In September, disagreements over a US proposal to expand the Darfur arms embargo nationwide forced the council to extend the existing measures by just one month.

Washington also seeks tighter restrictions on weapons, drones, related technology and foreign fighters, while Russia and China have expressed reservations about widening the embargo.

Sudan’s government opposes a nationwide ban, arguing it could undermine the army’s ability to defend the country. Instead, it wants tougher measures to prevent weapons and foreign support from reaching the RSF.

The latest escalation in Kordofan adds significance to the Security Council debate, as military operations and drone warfare have spread beyond Darfur, for which the embargo was established more than two decades ago.

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