VOA News
Israel’s military launched artillery strikes at “a number of targets” in Lebanon Wednesday in response to four rockets launched from Lebanon toward Israel, the Israeli military said.
“We are prepared for any scenario on any front,” the Israeli military said in a statement.
4 rockets were just fired from Lebanon at northern Israel, 1 of which was intercepted by the Iron Dome.
In response, IDF artillery forces are striking a number of targets in Lebanon.
We are prepared for any scenario on any front.
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) May 19, 2021
The Israeli military also said it intercepted one of the rockets while “the rest most likely fell in open areas.”
Although it was not immediately clear who fired the rockets, security sources in Lebanon confirmed that four rockets had been fired toward Israel from a village near the southern coastal Lebanese city of Tyre.
There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage or on either side.
Wednesday’s rocket launches marked the third time rockets had been fired from Lebanon toward Israel since clashes between Israel and Palestinians erupted on May 10.
Israeli military Spokesman Hidai Zilberman said Tuesday the Israeli military believed a small Palestinian faction was responsible for the attack, not the Hezbollah terrorist group, which has influence in southern Lebanon and access to advanced rockets.
Israel and Hezbollah guerrillas were at war in 2006 and small Palestinian groups in Lebanon have fired occasionally on Israel in the past.
Wednesday’s rocket launches and retaliatory strikes occurred as daily protests have taken place daily along the Lebanese-Israeli frontier to denounce Israel’s deadly attacks on the Gaza Strip.
