Lebanese Health Ministry Confirms 20 Dead in Israeli Air Raid on Barja
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – At least 20 people have been killed in an Israeli airstrike on Barja, a Lebanese coastal town, with ongoing rescue efforts as the death toll continues to rise, Lebanon’s Health Ministry reported.
The Lebanese Health Ministry announced on Tuesday that an Israeli airstrike targeted a building in the town of Barja, about 20 kilometers south of Beirut, killing at least 20 people.
In a statement, the ministry reported, “The preliminary death toll from the Israeli enemy's raid on Barja in the Chouf district of Mount Lebanon has risen to 20 martyrs and 14 wounded.” Rescue and rubble-clearing operations are still underway, it added.
The ministry had initially reported 15 fatalities and several injuries from the Barja strike before updating the casualty count.
Eyewitnesses described thick smoke rising from the bombed building on Tuesday evening, as many families fled the area in fear of further attacks.
The Barja strike marked the second Israeli airstrike outside Hezbollah’s traditional areas of influence on Tuesday, as Israel’s operations, targeting Lebanon since late September, broadened. Earlier in the day, another airstrike in Jiyeh, a town near Barja, struck a residential building, killing one person, according to Lebanese officials.
Since September 23, Israel has intensified its campaign against Lebanon, carrying out airstrikes across multiple regions, including Beirut, and has also launched a ground offensive in the south. Despite ongoing negotiations, no ceasefire has been reached.
The escalating Israeli war has led to widespread devastation in Lebanon, with thousands killed or wounded and over a million people displaced from their homes.