This photo taken on April 16, 2026 shows the Qasmiyeh Bridge destroyed in Israeli airstrikes in Qasmiyeh, Lebanon. Israeli warplanes carried out two consecutive airstrikes on the Qasmiyeh Bridge over the Litani River in southern Lebanon on Thursday, completely destroying it, according to Al Jadeed TV. The bridge, part of the main coastal highway linking the city of Sidon and the Tyre area, was the last remaining passage to parts of southern Lebanon after earlier damage to nearby infrastructure. (Photo by Ali Hashisho/Xinhua)
BEIRUT, April 16 (Xinhua) -- Israeli warplanes carried out two consecutive airstrikes on the Qasmiyeh Bridge over the Litani River in southern Lebanon on Thursday, completely destroying it, according to Al Jadeed TV.
The bridge, part of the main coastal highway linking the city of Sidon and the Tyre area, was the last remaining passage to parts of southern Lebanon after earlier damage to nearby infrastructure.
A drone had conducted a two-phase strike near the bridge before the air raids, the broadcaster reported.
The destruction has severely disrupted traffic along the coastal road, a vital artery linking the southern regions to the capital of Beirut.
Meanwhile, the Lebanese army evacuated a checkpoint at the bridge and closed roads leading to the area, according to the report.
The strikes came amid ongoing hostilities along the Lebanon-Israel border, with continued air raids and exchanges of fire reported in recent days. ■
Lebanese army soldiers inspect the Qasmiyeh Bridge destroyed in Israeli airstrikes in Qasmiyeh, Lebanon, April 16, 2026.
Israeli warplanes carried out two consecutive airstrikes on the Qasmiyeh Bridge over the Litani River in southern Lebanon on Thursday, completely destroying it, according to Al Jadeed TV.
The bridge, part of the main coastal highway linking the city of Sidon and the Tyre area, was the last remaining passage to parts of southern Lebanon after earlier damage to nearby infrastructure. (Photo by Ali Hashisho/Xinhua)
