Hezbollah joins retaliation over ‘Khamenei assassination’…Israel also ‘responds in kind’

"Hezbollah fires rockets and drones at Israel"

Israel retaliates with airstrikes…""Explosions heard in Lebanon’s capital"

Hezbollah, the Lebanese armed political group, said it began striking Israel on the 2nd (local time) in retaliation for U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran. In response, Israel immediately launched airstrikes across Lebanon, with both sides engaging in tit-for-tat clashes.

According to AFP and Reuters, Hezbollah said it fired rockets and drones toward Israel overnight in retaliation for the “martyrdom” of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s Supreme Leader.

In a statement, Hezbollah said it “unleashed missiles and drones in retaliation for Khamenei’s martyrdom, and to defend Lebanon and its people while responding to repeated Israeli attacks.”

The Israeli military also moved quickly to counterattack, saying it carried out airstrikes targeting Hezbollah across Lebanon.

Witnesses said multiple explosions were heard in Beirut, Lebanon’s capital.

In a statement, the Israeli military said it “began striking targets of the Hezbollah terrorist organization across Lebanon in response to Hezbollah shelling aimed at Israel.”

Choi Soo-jin, Hankyung.com reporter naive@hankyung.com