Lebanon state media says Israeli strikes hit central Beirut

BEIRUT — State media said an Israeli strike hit the central area of Lebanon’s capital on Thursday, the third such attack on Beirut since Israel escalated its air campaign last month.

Israel has repeatedly pounded southern Beirut suburbs, the bastion of Lebanon’s Hezbollah movement, bastion for more than two weeks but strikes have rarely hit in the city’s center.

“An enemy strike targeted the area of Ras Al-Nabaa-Nweiri” residential neighborhoods, adding that ambulances rushed to the targeted sites.

An AFP journalist in Beirut heard three loud explosions.

A security official, requesting anonymity to discuss sensitive matters, told AFP that the strikes hit two locations in the area of Nweiri.

AFP live footage showed two plumes of smoke billowing in between densely-packed buildings where lights were still on in the windows.

Last month, Israeli bombing killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in south Beirut.

AN-AFP