Hezbollah fighter wounded in Syria war killed in drone strike in Bint Jbeil

SOUTH LEBANON — An Israeli army drone fired three missiles overnight Thursday into Friday at a car in Tiri, in the Bint Jbeil district, killing its driver, Mehdi Hassan Sheito.

Sheito was a Hezbollah fighter who had been wounded in the war in Syria, during which Hezbollah fought alongside ousted President Bashar al-Assad. The strike also injured two others, according to our correspondent in South Lebanon.

Soon after the attack, the Israeli army spokesperson said on X that "the target was a Hezbollah member in the Tiri area." The army later clarified that the strike targeted a Hezbollah member who "was trying to rebuild military infrastructure," according to a statement by its new Arabic-language spokesperson Ella Waouia.

Earlier in the morning, Hezbollah also issued a statement paying tribute to Sheito.

Body found in Kfar Shuba

Meanwhile, a body was found Friday in the border village of Kfar Shuba (Hasbaya district), where a Lebanese Army patrol, accompanied by the Red Cross, went to retrieve it before submitting it for necessary tests to determine whether the remains are indeed human.

Israeli attacks continued during the day Friday. A drone dropped a stun grenade that exploded near a civilian on the outskirts of the town of Adaisseh, in the Marjayoun district, without causing any injuries.

The outskirts of Yaroun (Bint Jbeil) were targeted by Israeli machine-gun fire from the so-called Karantina hill, while an Israeli drone dropped two stun grenades on Aita al-Shaab (Bint Jbeil).

The Israeli army fired several artillery shells at the Wadi Mazallam area, located between the villages of Ramieh and Beit Lif (Bint Jbeil district), according to our correspondent.

On Thursday, Israeli artillery fired a series of shells at five border villages in South Lebanon, sparking a fire near Markaba (Marjayoun).

Despite the cease-fire reached at the end of November 2024 with Hezbollah, Israel still occupies several positions in South Lebanon and bombs Lebanese territory almost daily.

The municipality of Markaba (Marjayoun) issued a statement strongly condemning the “repeated” Israeli attacks targeting the town.

The municipality called on the state to “take immediate measures to end these repeated violations against the town and its innocent residents, in order to ensure their safety and protect the village’s sovereignty.”

It also expressed its “support for the residents and commitment to upholding their right to live safely and with dignity on their land.”

Reporting by our regional correspondent, Muntasser Abdallah.