JERUSALEM, March 8 (Xinhua) -- The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said on Sunday that it killed five senior commanders of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Quds Force in a precision strike in Beirut.
The overnight attack, carried out by the Israeli navy, targeted the commanders while they were meeting at a hotel in central Beirut, the IDF said. The Quds Force's Lebanon Corps serves as a key liaison between Hezbollah and Iran, and the targeted commanders were allegedly coordinating militant activity across Lebanon from a civilian hotel, the IDF said.
Lebanese media said the strike hit the Ramada Hotel in the Raouche area, a popular tourist district near the landmark Pigeon Rocks along the Mediterranean coast. The hotel was also housing displaced people who fled fighting elsewhere in Lebanon, and some were seen leaving in fear of further attacks.
This was Israel's first strike in central Beirut since the start of its new war against Hezbollah.
Lebanon's Health Ministry said the death toll from clashes with Israel has risen to 394, including 83 children and 42 women. Nine rescue workers have also died. The figure marks a sharp increase from Saturday, when the ministry reported 294 fatalities. ■
