Conflicting Reports About Targeting Islamic Group Center in Central Beirut

Conflicting Reports About Targeting Islamic Group Center in Central Beirut
Information discrepancy about target identity points to complexities of Lebanese scene and overlap of civilian and political sites in the capital
November 17, 2024, 10:28 pm

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Two people were killed and 13 others injured, including two in critical condition, in an Israeli airstrike carried out with two missiles on the Mar Elias area in central Beirut, in the second targeting of the capital's heart on Sunday.

Local media circulated news about targeting a center belonging to the Islamic Group in the area, where the sound of explosion echoed throughout the capital without prior warning.

MP Imad Al-Hout, the Islamic Group's representative in the Lebanese parliament, quickly denied the existence of any headquarters or institution belonging to the group in the targeted area, confirming to AFP that the strike did not target any of the organization's cadres.

Al Arabiya/Al Hadath sources reported that the real target of the strike was a Hezbollah military leader named Mahmoud Madi, while a Lebanese security source indicated that an electronics store was targeted.

This strike comes hours after targeting the Ras al-Nabaa area in the first strike on the capital's heart since the escalation began, which resulted in the death of Hezbollah media official Mohammad Afif and three others.

The two strikes in central Beirut coincided with a series of Israeli strikes on other areas in the capital and its suburbs, including Chiyah, Ain el-Remmaneh, Burj al-Barajneh, Hadath, and Haret Hreik.

The ongoing escalation between Hezbollah and Israel since October 8, 2023, has resulted in 3,452 casualties, according to Lebanese Ministry of Health statistics, and the displacement of more than 1.2 million Lebanese.

The Islamic Group's denial comes amid fears of expanding Israeli targeting to include other Lebanese political and civilian forces, in a development that could further complicate the crisis-ridden Lebanese scene.

Levant-Agencies

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