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The Israeli military allegedly attacked the top military official of Lebanon's Iran-backed faction Hezbollah in a strike on Beirut's southern suburbs, according to the office of the Israeli PM on the weekend.

This represented the initial attack in several months on the southern district of the capital city, an area renowned for sheltering officials from the group.

Objective Named as Military Leader

The objective of the operation was the military official the Hezbollah chief of staff, per an Israeli source knowledgeable of the strike and a Lebanese security source. The PM's office did not confirm whether the official was killed.

US Alert Particulars

A senior US official indicated that Israeli authorities did not notify Washington prior about the operation, per a social media post.

The official clarified that the US government was informed right after the incident, and a another American official mentioned that the United States had had information for days that Israel was planning to intensify operations in the country.

History on the Military Leader

The US levied sanctions on the Hezbollah official in recent years, labeling him as a critical military figure in the group and announcing a reward of up to $5m for information on him.

Strike Details and Consequences

The blast struck a main road in the capital's southern area, where locals mentioned detecting the sound of warplanes before the blast.

Residents rushed out of their homes out of concern of further strikes, as stated by a journalist in the zone.

At least two people were fatally wounded and approximately 24 were wounded and transported to hospitals in the region, as reported by medical sources.

There was no immediate comment from Hezbollah.

Ongoing Israeli Campaign

Attacks by Israel on the Lebanese faction over the recent period have eliminated its previous chief the group's past leader, much of the senior military leadership and about 5,000 fighters.

Comments from Prime Minister

The Israeli leader informed his cabinet on the morning of the incident before the attack that the country would persist to combat “terrorism” on multiple fronts.

“We will continue to do whatever is necessary to hinder the group from restoring its capability to threaten us,” he said.

Wider Context

Israel has increased airstrikes in south Lebanon, continuing a initiative of frequent strikes that it says is aimed to block a resurgence of forces by Hezbollah in the boundary zone.

Israel has alleged the group of attempting to rearm since a US-backed ceasefire last year.

The faction says it has complied with conditions for it to cease its military presence in the border region near the Israeli border, and for the Lebanese army to position there.