Israel army says struck senior Hezbollah operative in Dahieh

Israel's military said Monday it struck a senior Hezbollah operative in Beirut, with the defense minister saying the Lebanese group's chief Naim Qassem is "a marked target".

"A short while ago, the (Israeli military) precisely struck a senior Hezbollah terrorist in Beirut," the military said. AFPTV showed smoke rising from the southern Beirut district of Dahieh, a stronghold of Hezbollah.

Israel's Defense Minister Israel Katz said on X that Iran-backed Hezbollah's chief was now "a marked target for elimination".

Israel's military had said it was carrying out simultaneous strikes in Iran and Lebanon, warning Hezbollah it would "pay a heavy price" for opening fire on Israel.

"Even at this moment, hundreds of Air Force aircraft are striking simultaneously in Lebanon and Iran," military spokesman Brigadier General Effie Defrin said during a televised briefing.

"Hezbollah opened fire last night. It knew exactly what it was doing. We had warned it — and it will pay a heavy price."