Beirut, Feb 22 (IANS): Two civilians were killed and three others injured during Israeli raids targeting southwest Lebanon, Lebanese medical and military sources told the media.

According to official sources on Wednesday, rescue and ambulance teams equipped with bulldozers and cranes were sent to remove the rubble of several homes that were targeted in Majdal Zoun, Al-Mansouri, and Khiam, and to transport the injured to nearby hospitals, Xinhua news agency reported.

Lebanese military sources told Xinhua news agency that Israel carried out 12 airstrikes on seven towns and villages in southern Lebanon and fired 35 shells on 13 towns and villages in the south, destroying eight homes and damaging 24 others.

The Lebanon-Israel border has been witnessing increased tension since October 8, 2023, after Lebanese armed group Hezbollah fired dozens of rockets toward Israel in support of the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, prompting Israel to respond by firing heavy artillery toward southeastern Lebanon.

The confrontations between Hezbollah and Israel have killed 305 people on the Lebanese side, including 205 Hezbollah members and 59 civilians, according to Lebanese security sources.

--IANS

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