West Asia war: Israeli strikes kill four in south Lebanon despite extended ceasefire

Smoke billows from explosions in the southern Lebanese village of Khiam. Pic/AFP

Lebanon's health ministry said Israeli strikes on Saturday in the country's south killed four people, despite a ceasefire that was extended this week in the war between Israel and militant group Hezbollah.

"Two Israeli enemy strikes, on a truck and a motorbike, in the town of Yohmor al-Shaqeef in the Nabatieh district killed four people," a ministry statement said.

The deaths came after Israeli strikes killed six people in south Lebanon's Wadi al-Hujair, Touline, Srifa and Yater on Friday, according to the ministry.

US President Donald Trump announced on Thursday in Washington that a 10-day ceasefire in Lebanon which began on April 17 had been extended for three weeks.

Tehran-backed Hezbollah drew Lebanon into the Middle East war on March 2 by firing rockets at Israel to avenge the death of Iran's supreme leader Ali Khamenei in US-Israeli strikes.

The state-run National News Agency (NNA) reported Israeli artillery shelling on several south Lebanon locations on Saturday.

It also reported a "violent explosion" in Khiam, a strategic town along the east of Lebanon's border with Israel where the agency has previously said the Israeli army has been "systematically" destroying houses and other buildings.

Israel's army on Saturday reissued a warning to residents not to return to dozens of south Lebanon locations within the so-called "yellow line" which the military has announced, running around 10 kilometres (six miles) inside Lebanese territory along the length of the border.

It also said it struck "Hezbollah rocket launchers" overnight in several areas.

Israeli attacks have killed more than 2,490 people in Lebanon since March 2, according to authorities.

On Friday, Hezbollah lawmaker Ali Fayad said the group reserved the right to respond to any Israeli "aggressions" during the truce, adding that extending the ceasefire "makes no sense" in light of continued "hostile acts" by Israel.

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever.