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Israeli forces allegedly attacked the chief of staff of the Lebanese Iran-backed group the Hezbollah organization in a operation on the capital's southern district, as stated by the office of the Israeli PM on the weekend.

This was the first attack in several months on the southern suburbs of the capital city, an area known for sheltering Hezbollah officials.

Target Named as Military Leader

The focus of the attack was the military official the Hezbollah chief of staff, per an Israeli source informed about the incident and a security official in Lebanon. The PM's office did not state whether Tabtabai was killed.

American Notification Particulars

A senior US official stated that Israel failed to inform the US administration in advance about the operation, according to a social media post.

The authority noted that the US government was notified immediately after the incident, and a second senior US official stated that the United States had had information for days that Israeli forces was planning to intensify attacks in the country.

History on the Target

The US imposed sanctions on Tabtabai in recent years, classifying him as a key military figure in the group and offering a bounty of up to $5m for intel on him.

Strike Particulars and Consequences

The blast struck a main road in Beirut's southern suburbs, where residents mentioned detecting the roar of aircraft before the detonation.

People rushed out of their apartment buildings out of fear of more bombings, per a reporter in the region.

No fewer than two individuals were lost their lives and two dozen were wounded and rushed to medical facilities in the vicinity, according to hospital staff.

There was no prompt response from the group.

Recent Israel's Campaign

Attacks by Israel on the Lebanese faction over the last two years have killed its previous chief Hassan Nasrallah, a significant part of the senior military leadership and about thousands of militants.

Statements from Prime Minister

The Israeli leader told his government ministers on Sunday morning before the strike that the country would continue to confront “terrorism” on multiple fronts.

“We will continue to do whatever is necessary to hinder the group from rebuilding its capacity to pose a danger to us,” he stated.

Wider Context

Israeli forces has escalated airstrikes in the southern region, continuing a campaign of near-daily attacks that it states is designed to hinder a rebuilding of capabilities by Hezbollah in the border area.

Israeli authorities has accused Hezbollah of trying to restock weapons since a truce supported by the US recently.

The faction says it has followed conditions for it to terminate its troop placement in the boundary zone near Israel, and for the Lebanese army to deploy there.