Lebanese army officer, 2 soldiers killed in ammunition explosion in Lebanon

Beirut, April 21 (IANS) A Lebanese army officer and two soldiers were killed in an ammunition explosion in southern Lebanon, according to a statement issued by the army's Directorate of Guidance.

According to the statement, several civilians were also injured in the explosion that took place on Sunday "when the ammunition was being transported by a military vehicle in the Braiqaa area, Nabatieh Governorate."

"Specialized army units are conducting the necessary investigations to uncover the circumstances surrounding the incident," the statement added.

A Lebanese security source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity that since the start of the cross-border conflict between Hezbollah in Lebanon and Israel on October 8, 2023, the number of Lebanese army personnel killed has reached 49.

Meanwhile, two Hezbollah operatives were killed earlier on Sunday in two separate Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon, according to the same security source.

Israel's military, for its part, announced that it launched new airstrikes in southern Lebanon on Sunday night, targeting Hezbollah military sites in Nabatieh, Xinhua news agency reported.

"A short while ago, the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) struck several launchers and a military infrastructure site from which Hezbollah operated," the military said in a statement.

Earlier in the day, the military struck the area of Houla in southern Lebanon and killed a militant who, according to the statement, served as Hezbollah's head of engineering in the Odaisseh area.

Despite a ceasefire agreement that went into effect in November 2024, Israeli forces have continued to carry out occasional strikes inside Lebanon, claiming they target Hezbollah "threats."

--IANS

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