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Israeli forces allegedly attacked the chief of staff of Lebanon's Iran-backed group the Hezbollah organization in a strike on Beirut's southern suburbs, as stated by the office of the Israeli PM on the weekend.

This marked the first airstrike in months on the southern district of the Lebanese capital, an area renowned for hosting Hezbollah officials.

Target Identified as Ali Tabtabai

The focus of the attack was the army leader Ali Tabtabai, per an source from Israel briefed on the strike and a Lebanese security source. The prime minister's office did not confirm whether Tabtabai was eliminated.

US Alert Details

A high-ranking American official stated that Israeli authorities did not alert the US administration in advance about the operation, per a digital update.

The official clarified that the US government was alerted right after the incident, and a second senior US official mentioned that the US had known for several days that Israel was planning to intensify strikes in the country.

History on the Military Leader

The United States enforced restrictions on Tabtabai in recent years, classifying him as a key Hezbollah military leader and providing a bounty of up to $5m for details on him.

Strike Particulars and Aftermath

The strike hit a main road in the capital's southern suburbs, where locals mentioned noticing the roar of aircraft before the explosion.

Civilians hurried out of their homes out of fear of further strikes, as stated by a journalist in the region.

At least two people were killed and several dozen were injured and taken to hospitals in the region, per hospital staff.

There was no prompt response from Hezbollah.

Ongoing Israeli Operations

Attacks by Israel on the Lebanese faction over the last two years have killed its ex-head the group's past leader, much of the high-ranking commanders and about 5,000 fighters.

Statements from Prime Minister

The prime minister told his cabinet on Sunday morning before the strike that Israel would persist to combat “terrorism” on several fronts.

“We will continue to do all that is required to stop the group from rebuilding its ability to pose a danger to us,” he declared.

Wider Context

Israeli forces has escalated airstrikes in south Lebanon, continuing a campaign of near-daily attacks that it says is intended to prevent a military revival by the faction in the frontier region.

Israeli authorities has charged Hezbollah of seeking to rearm since a truce supported by the US recently.

The group asserts it has followed stipulations for it to end its troop placement in the frontier area near Israel, and for the Lebanese army to deploy there.