BEIRUT, May 18 (Xinhua) -- An Israeli drone strike wounded a Lebanese soldier and another individual on Sunday when it targeted a vehicle in the southern village of Beit Yahoun, Lebanon's Health Ministry said.
The ministry said the strike occurred on the Beit Yahoun road in the Bint Jbeil district, injuring two people, one of them seriously. It confirmed that the seriously wounded person was a soldier in the Lebanese Army.
The army also confirmed the incident on social media platform X, saying one of its soldiers was seriously wounded when an Israeli drone targeted a vehicle at a checkpoint between Beit Yahoun and Bint Jbeil.
Separately, the state-run National News Agency reported that Israeli drones were flying at low altitude over the Bekaa Valley, east of the strike site.
Sunday's strike comes despite a ceasefire brokered by the United States and France between Hezbollah and Israel, in effect since Nov. 27, 2024. The truce halted more than a year of cross-border hostilities triggered by the war in Gaza.
Israel has said its strikes are intended to neutralize Hezbollah threats. However, the Lebanese government and several Arab states have accused Israel of repeatedly violating the ceasefire agreement. Despite the truce's provision requiring a full Israeli withdrawal, Israeli forces continue to hold several strategically important positions in southern Lebanon. ■
