Hezbollah’s central HQ targeted

The Israeli military said Friday it struck the central headquarters of Hezbollah in Beirut, where a series of massive explosions levelled multiple buildings, sending clouds of orange and black smoke billowing in the skies.

Three major Israeli TV channels said Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was the target of the strikes. But the unsourced reports could not immediately be confirmed by The Associated Press, and the army declined comment. But given the size and timing of the blast, there were strong indications that a high-value target may have been inside the buildings struck.

Friday's bombings were the most powerful yet seen in the Lebanese capital the past year. The Israeli army spokesman, Rear Adm Daniel Hagari, said it targeted the main Hezbollah headquarters, located beneath residential buildings. The blast rattled windows and shook houses some 30 km north of Beirut. At least 25 people were killed in Israeli strikes early Friday, health minister Firass Abiad said, bringing the death toll in Lebanon this week to more than 720. He said the dead included dozens of women and children.