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The Israeli military reportedly struck the top military official of the Lebanese Iran-backed group Hezbollah in a airstrike on the capital's southern suburbs, as stated by the office of the Israeli PM on the weekend.

This marked the first attack in several months on the southern district of the capital city, an area renowned for housing Hezbollah officials.

Target Named as Ali Tabtabai

The focus of the operation was the military official Ali Tabtabai, as reported by an source from Israel knowledgeable of the strike and a security official in Lebanon. The PM's office did not state whether Tabtabai was killed.

US Notification Details

A senior US official revealed that Israeli authorities failed to inform the US administration beforehand about the airstrike, per a digital update.

The official noted that the US government was informed immediately after the incident, and a second senior US official said that the United States had been aware for several days that Israeli forces was intending to escalate operations in Lebanon.

History on the Target

The US levied sanctions on the Hezbollah official in recent years, identifying him as a critical military figure in the group and offering a reward of up to five million dollars for intel on him.

Strike Details and Aftermath

The airstrike struck a primary street in the capital's southern area, where residents mentioned detecting the roar of jets before the blast.

Civilians rushed out of their apartment buildings out of fear of more bombings, as stated by a correspondent in the region.

At least two individuals were lost their lives and two dozen were wounded and transported to medical facilities in the region, according to health officials.

There was no prompt response from the group.

Recent Israeli Campaign

Attacks by Israel on Hezbollah over the past couple of years have taken the lives of its previous chief Hassan Nasrallah, much of the group's top military brass and about thousands of militants.

Comments from Israeli Leadership

The Israeli leader informed his government ministers on Sunday morning before the attack that Israel would carry on to fight “militant activities” on several fronts.

“Our efforts will persist to do all that is required to stop the group from restoring its ability to threaten us,” he said.

Broader Situation

Israel has stepped up air attacks in the southern region, pressing a operation of frequent strikes that it says is intended to prevent a rebuilding of capabilities by the faction in the border area.

Israeli authorities has alleged Hezbollah of attempting to acquire arms since a truce supported by the US recently.

The group claims it has followed stipulations for it to end its armed deployment in the boundary zone near Israel, and for the national army to station there.