BEIRUT, March 6 (Xinhua) -- Five people were killed, and seven others injured on Friday in an Israeli airstrike targeting the southern Lebanese city of Sidon, Lebanon's Health Ministry said.
In a statement, the Public Health Emergency Operations Center at the Ministry said the casualties were reported in a preliminary toll.
Earlier on Friday, Lebanon's official National News Agency (NNA) reported that an Israeli warplane targeted the floor just below the top level of the Maqassed building near Al-Siddiq Mosque in Sidon. Ambulances rushed to the site following the strike.
The extent of damage and the identities of the victims have not yet been officially confirmed.
Meanwhile, the Israeli army said it had begun launching another round of strikes on Beirut's southern suburbs, while the NNA reported that "enemy warplanes" carried out air raids on the southern suburbs of Beirut.
In response, Hezbollah announced a series of retaliatory attacks against Israeli military positions and settlements.
Separately, Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said the decision of war and peace "must remain in the hands of the state," stressing that Lebanon is working with international partners to stop the "Israeli aggression."
Hezbollah on Monday fired missiles and drones toward Israel, saying the attacks were in retaliation for the killing of Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in a joint U.S.-Israeli strike and for repeated Israeli attacks on Lebanon. Israel responded with massive airstrikes on Hezbollah targets and deployed ground forces into southern Lebanon, marking a sharp escalation in the conflict. ■
