BEIRUT, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- A Lebanese civilian died on Sunday from wounds sustained in an Israeli airstrike on the southeastern village of Deir Siriane a day earlier, the Lebanese Ministry of Health said in a statement. This brings the death toll from the attack to two.
Military sources told Xinhua that Israeli drones and warplanes conducted nine airstrikes on Sunday, targeting six towns and villages in the border area and three towns and villages in the Jezzine area deep in southern Lebanon. Additionally, Israeli artillery shelled 11 towns and villages in the border area with about 40 shells, causing damage to buildings and several fires.
"A fire broke out at the Taybeh water pumping station in southern Lebanon. Security authorities have launched an investigation into the incident, which destroyed the power station and several water pump facilities," the sources said.
Ali Al-Zein, former head of the Union of Municipalities of Jabal Amel, told Xinhua that An Israeli drone "fired two air-to-ground missiles at the 66-watt high-voltage line supplying the station with electricity, causing a fire that affected the water pump and much of its equipment."
"This resulted in a complete cut-off of drinking water and electricity to about 55 towns and villages in the Marjeyoun and Bint Jbeil regions in the border area of southern Lebanon," he added.
On Saturday, a Lebanese boy was killed and seven people, including children, were injured in two Israeli raids on the villages of Deir Siriane and Tayr Harfa in southern Lebanon, according to the sources.
Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah threatened a "definite and painful" response to the Israeli raid following Israel's attack in Beirut's southern suburbs, which killed Hezbollah senior military commander Fouad Shokor and seven civilians.
Tensions along the Lebanon-Israel border escalated on Oct. 8, 2023, after a barrage of rockets launched by Hezbollah toward Israel in solidarity with Hamas' attack on Israel the day before. Israel retaliated with heavy artillery fire toward southeastern Lebanon. ■
