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Israeli forces reportedly struck the chief of staff of the Lebanese Iran-backed faction the Hezbollah organization in a airstrike on Beirut's southern suburbs, per the Israeli prime minister's office on Sunday.

This represented the first strike in several months on the southern district of the Lebanese capital, an region known for housing officials from the group.

Objective Identified as Military Leader

The objective of the operation was the military official the Hezbollah chief of staff, as reported by an source from Israel knowledgeable of the incident and a security official in Lebanon. The PM's office did not reveal whether the official was fatally wounded.

American Alert Details

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

The official clarified that the US government was informed right after the strike, and a another American official mentioned that the United States had been aware for several days that Israel was intending to increase attacks in Lebanon.

History on the Target

The US imposed sanctions on Tabtabai in 2016, identifying him as a critical military figure in the group and offering a bounty of up to five million dollars for information on him.

Strike Details and Aftermath

The airstrike impacted a central avenue in the capital's southern area, where locals stated hearing the noise of jets before the detonation.

Residents hurried out of their apartment buildings out of fear of additional attacks, as stated by a correspondent in the region.

At least two people were fatally wounded and two dozen were wounded and taken to medical facilities in the vicinity, per hospital staff.

There was no quick statement from the organization.

Recent Israel's Operations

Israeli strikes on Hezbollah over the recent period have taken the lives of its former leader the group's past leader, much of the group's top military brass and about thousands of militants.

Statements from Prime Minister

The prime minister addressed his cabinet on the morning of the incident before the attack that Israel would persist to combat “terrorism” on various arenas.

“We shall carry on to do all that is required to hinder Hezbollah from re-establishing its ability to pose a danger to us,” he stated.

Broader Situation

Israel has escalated air attacks in southern Lebanon, continuing a campaign of near-daily attacks that it claims is aimed to prevent a military revival by Hezbollah in the border area.

Israeli authorities has charged the group of trying to rearm since a American-endorsed peace agreement last year.

The group claims it has followed stipulations for it to end its troop placement in the border region near the Israeli border, and for the national army to station there.