From the Liveblog of
Sunday, June 9, 2024
Hezbollah tried to down jets with anti-aircraft missiles, IDF says
Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent
A cell of Hezbollah operatives launched anti-aircraft missiles at Israeli fighter jets over southern Lebanon earlier today, the military says.
According to the Israel Defense Forces, the aircraft were never under any serious threat from the attack. However, this appears to be the first use of anti-aircraft missiles in Lebanon against Israeli jets since war broke out eight months ago, and comes after several weeks that have seen Hezbollah slowly ratchet up the scale, intensity and reach of hostilities.
The IDF says a short while after the missiles were launched, a drone struck and killed the cell, near the coastal city of Tyre.
מוקדם יותר היום חוליית מחבלים שיגרה מספר טילי נ"מ לעבר מטוסי קרב שפעלו בשמי לבנון. לא נשקפה סכנה למטוסים ואין נפגעים.
דקות ספורות לאחר מכן, כלי טיס של חיל האוויר תקף במרחב צור וחיסל את חוליית המחבלים שביצעה את השיגורים>> pic.twitter.com/QJ16b3Pni7— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) June 9, 2024
Elsewhere, the IDF says it struck buildings used by Hezbollah in southern Lebanon’s Chebaa, Aitaroun, and Markaba, alongside additional infrastructure in Aitaroun and a rocket launcher in at-Tiri, used in a recent attack on northern Israel.
Another building in southern Lebanon’s Houla, where the IDF says it identified Hezbollah operatives, was also hit by fighter jets.
