JERUSALEM, March 13 (Xinhua) -- The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement that it struck a key bridge over the Litani River in southern Lebanon on Friday morning.
The strike was aimed at the Zrariyah Bridge, said the statement, alleging the bridge was used by Hezbollah militants to pass from northern to southern Lebanon "to build up its power and prepare for combat."
The IDF claimed that recently, Hezbollah had placed rocket launchers near the bridge and carried out launches from there toward Israel.
It added that to prevent a threat to Israeli civilians and to stop the continued harm to the residents of Lebanon, it was necessary to sever the bridge.
Since the launch of the U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran on Feb. 28, tensions between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon have sharply escalated, with Hezbollah firing rocket barrages at northern Israeli communities and Israel striking Hezbollah operatives and infrastructure. ■
