Al Jazeera: High-ranking Lebanese army officers are among at least 12 people killed in Israeli attacks across southern Lebanon, days after the countries agreed to a conditional ceasefire during United States-mediated talks.
Lebanon’s army said a brigadier general, a captain and a soldier, died in an Israeli strike on a military vehicle on the Khardali-Nabatieh road.
The Israeli army said Saturday’s attack was in an “active combat zone”, and that “movement in a combat zone requires coordination” with the Israeli army. It added that “the incident remains under investigation”.
The Lebanese army said that “the continuation of the deliberate and repeated brutal Israeli aggression … is aimed at thwarting all efforts to reach a solution”.
Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun condemned the attack as a “flagrant violation of Lebanese sovereignty and of international laws and norms”.
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam described it as “a heinous crime and an attack on Lebanon and all Lebanese people”.
In a statement, Salam extended his condolences to the families and colleagues of Brigadier General Wassam Sabra, Captain Elie Khoury and soldier Hussein Ghozal, as well as to the Lebanese army itself.
Later on Saturday, Lebanon’s army said that its commander General Rudolf Haykal was heading to Pakistan for talks with his Pakistani counterpart, Field Marshal Asim Munir.
Haykal’s visit comes as Pakistan continues efforts to mediate talks to end the US-Israel war on Iran, with Israeli attacks on Lebanon one of the sticking points.
