Rockets fired from south Lebanon on Israeli posts, sources say

At least 15 rockets were fired at Israeli posts in Shebaa Farms from south Lebanon on Friday, in the latest cross-border attack from the area, a Lebanese security source said.

A Lebanese security source said the rockets were fired from Al-Habbariyeh valley, which was close to the border of Shebaa.

The Israeli army reported there were 10 rockets fired and that most of them had been intercepted by the Iron Dome missile defense system, while the rest landed in open areas.

The army attacked the sites which had fired the missiles, it said in a statement.

No casualties were initially reported, according to the rescue service.

Hezbollah claimed responsibility, saying it had fired rockets into open areas in the Shebaa Farms, saying the attack was in response to Thursday’s airstrikes on southern Lebanon.

Hezbollah in a statement said that “at 11:15 a.m. this Friday, and in response to the Israeli air raids, the groups of the martyr Ali Kamel Mohsen and the martyr Muhammad Qasim Tahan in the Islamic Resistance (Hezbollah) shelled open lands for the Israeli occupation in Shebaa farms with tens of 122mm rockets.’’

The same security source said Israeli artillery immediately responded by shelling the valley of Habbariyeh, as Israeli warplanes flew low over the area.

The United Nations interim forces in Southern Lebanon (UNIFIL), which monitors the border between Lebanon and Israel, said it detected a rocket launched from Lebanon and return artillery fire by Israel.

“This is a very serious situation and we urge all parties to cease fire,’’ UNIFIL said in a statement.