Retaliatory Attack, Hezbollah Launches 320 Rockets To Israel

JAKARTA - Milisi Hezbollah said it launched more than 320 rockets into Israel, on Sunday, August 25. The attack targeted a number of military positions after Israel carried out airstrikes.

"The number of Katyusha rockets that have been launched to date is more than 320, targeting enemy positions," said Hezbollah.

The militia added that the group had targeted 11 Israeli military bases and barracks.

Hezbollah claims the first phase of retaliation against Israel ended in success. This action was an act in response to an Israeli attack late last month that killed Fuad Shukr, a deputy leader of Hezbollah, on the outskirts of Beirut.

According to Hezbollah, this phase is launching a drone (UAV) with explosive weapons to attack targets deep within Israeli territory. The group said their full retaliation would take longer.

When asked about the number of attacks carried out by Hezbollah and the locations they targeted, the Israeli military said that until now they had calculated there were about 215 attacks launched from Lebanon. But they cannot say whether the attack has reached its target. It is not yet clear whether there were casualties or not.

In northern Israel, sirens rang and explosions were heard in some areas as the Iron Dome air defense system blocked fire from southern Lebanon. Magen David Adom's ambulance service Israel said it was on national high alert.

A resident of Zibqeen City, in southern Lebanon, about 7 km from the border, said this was the first time he had been awakened by the sound of planes and rocket loud explosions, even before dawn prayers. It feels like the end of the world," he said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to do everything he could to defend his country and ensure security for the people of northern Israel.

"We stick to a simple rule, whoever hurts us, we will hurt them," he was quoted as saying by AP.

Prior to the attack on Lebanon, the Israeli military said that its fighter jets had already attacked Hezbollah's targets. According to an Israeli military spokesman, most of Israel's airstrikes were aimed at targets in southern Lebanon.