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The Israeli military reportedly attacked the chief of staff of Lebanon's Iran-aligned group Hezbollah in a strike on Beirut's southern district, according to the office of the Israeli PM on the weekend.

This marked the first attack in months on the southern suburbs of the Lebanese capital, an region known for hosting officials from the group.

Target Named as Military Leader

The target of the strike was the commanding officer Ali Tabtabai, according to an source from Israel briefed on the strike and a Lebanese security source. The PM's office did not reveal whether Tabtabai was eliminated.

American Notification Details

A senior US official indicated that Israel did not alert Washington beforehand about the operation, per a online report.

The authority noted that the administration was notified right after the strike, and a another American official stated that the United States had known for days that Israeli forces was intending to increase attacks in the country.

History on the Target

The US enforced penalties on the Hezbollah official in 2016, labeling him as a key Hezbollah military leader and offering a reward of up to five million dollars for information on him.

Attack Details and Aftermath

The blast impacted a main road in the capital's southern area, where residents reported hearing the roar of aircraft before the blast.

Residents hurried out of their residences out of concern of additional attacks, per a journalist in the region.

At least two individuals were fatally wounded and several dozen were wounded and transported to clinics in the area, as reported by hospital staff.

There was no immediate comment from the group.

Ongoing Israeli Campaign

Israeli strikes on Hezbollah over the last two years have killed its former leader Hassan Nasrallah, a large portion of the high-ranking commanders and about 5,000 fighters.

Statements from Prime Minister

The Israeli leader addressed his cabinet on the morning of the incident before the strike that Israel would carry on to combat “militant activities” on several fronts.

“We shall carry on to do whatever is necessary to prevent the group from rebuilding its capacity to threaten us,” he stated.

Broader Situation

Israel has increased bombing raids in south Lebanon, continuing a operation of near-daily attacks that it states is designed to block a military revival by the faction in the border area.

Israel has charged Hezbollah of seeking to rearm since a US-backed ceasefire the previous year.

The group asserts it has followed conditions for it to terminate its armed deployment in the border region near Israel, and for the military forces to station there.