BEIRUT, April 7 (Xinhua) -- At least eight people were killed in Israeli airstrikes at dawn and on Tuesday morning targeting multiple areas in southern Lebanon, according to Lebanon's National News Agency.
The casualties on Tuesday morning included three people killed in a strike on the village of Tayr Debba, one person killed in the Zebdine area, and another killed in Deir al-Zahrani.
In another location near Tyre, the death toll from a dawn airstrike rose to three after a wounded woman succumbed to her injuries.
In separate statements, Hezbollah said it carried out rocket attacks targeting Israeli positions and settlements, as well as Israeli troops.
Meanwhile, Lebanon's General Security Directorate issued a statement denying Israeli reports that the Masnaa border crossing, the country's main overland gateway to Syria and the Arab hinterland, is being used for weapons smuggling.
In a statement released by its media office, the directorate emphasized that Masnaa is a legal border point and cannot be used for arms smuggling. It noted that all trucks and vehicles are subject to strict inspection measures, describing circulating allegations of smuggling operations as unfounded.
Cross-border fighting has continued along the Lebanon-Israel border since March 2, when Hezbollah launched rockets toward Israel for the first time since a ceasefire took effect on Nov. 27, 2024, triggering intensified Israeli airstrikes across southern and eastern Lebanon, as well as on Beirut's southern suburbs. ■
