IDF says Lebanon strike targeted Hezbollah artillery commander

A Hezbollah artillery commander was killed in an Israeli airstrike in southern Lebanon this morning, the IDF says.

According to the IDF, the strike in Yanouh killed Ahmad Ali Salami, who served as an artillery commander in Hezbollah.

The military says Salami advanced numerous rocket attacks on Israel during the 2023-2024 war with Hezbollah, and recently was working to restore the terror group’s artillery infrastructure “from within the civilian population in Lebanon.” His actions were a violation of the ceasefire, the army says.

“The IDF is aware of the claim that uninvolved civilians were killed,” the military says, after Lebanon’s health ministry reported three dead, including a three-year-old.

The IDF says it took steps to mitigate civilian harm, and that it “regrets any harm to uninvolved civilians and operates to minimize harm as much as possible.”

“The incident is under review,” the military adds.