Internal Security Forces (ISF) deployed at the site of an Israeli strike at Sahel Alma, north of Beirut, on Oct. 19, 2024. (Credit: Joseph Eid/AFP)
Two people were killed Saturday morning in Sahel Alma (Kesrouan district) in an Israeli drone strike that targeted the highway linking Jounieh to Beirut, marking the first such incident since the outbreak of war between Israel and Hezbollah.
"An attack by the Israeli enemy on a car in Jounieh resulted in two deaths," the Health Ministry announced. According to the state-run National News Agency (NNA), "three rockets targeted a car (...) in which a man and his wife were traveling on the highway." According to our correspondent, the couple initially escaped the attack and took refuge in a wooded area along the road before being targeted again and killed. Their identities have not yet been revealed.
The Lebanese Army and Internal Security Forces (ISF) were deployed to the scene, where traffic congestion blocked access. The raid also damaged the Abeille D'or pastry shop located on the highway, opposite the targeted vehicle.
"No area is safe"
Fadi Fayad, a member of the Jounieh municipality, confirmed to L’Orient Today the death of two individuals. "It seems they were coming from Jbeil toward Jounieh at the time of the strike," Fayad said, estimating that there were three strikes during the incident.
"We urge citizens to be vigilant and responsible and to inform the municipality of any new leasing operations (new individuals renting apartments) to maintain the security of the area, as no area can be considered safe," he added.
After more than a year of cross-border exchanges of fire, Israel and Hezbollah are now in open conflict in Lebanon, where the Israeli military launched a ground offensive in the south on Sept. 30, and the air force is bombing hundreds of targets.
