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The Israeli military allegedly attacked the top military official of Lebanon's Iran-backed faction Hezbollah in a airstrike on Beirut's southern suburbs, according to the office of the Israeli PM on Sunday.

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

Objective Identified as Military Leader

The target of the attack was the army leader the Hezbollah chief of staff, as reported by an source from Israel knowledgeable of the strike and a security official in Lebanon. The PM's office did not confirm whether Tabtabai was fatally wounded.

US Notification Details

A high-ranking American official revealed that Israel failed to inform Washington in advance about the strike, per a online report.

The authority clarified that the administration was alerted immediately after the strike, and a second senior US official stated that the United States had been aware for several days that Israel was intending to intensify strikes in the country.

History on the Target

The US enforced penalties on the Hezbollah official in recent years, identifying him as a critical military figure in the group and announcing a bounty of up to five million dollars for information on him.

Strike Details and Consequences

The strike hit a main road in Beirut's southern area, where residents mentioned detecting the sound of warplanes before the blast.

People fled out of their residences out of concern of further strikes, as stated by a reporter in the region.

No fewer than two people were killed and approximately 24 were wounded and rushed to clinics in the area, as reported by health officials.

There was no immediate comment from Hezbollah.

Ongoing Israeli Campaign

Israeli strikes on the Lebanese faction over the last two years have killed its ex-head the group's past leader, a significant part of the senior military leadership and about thousands of militants.

Comments from Prime Minister

The Israeli leader told his cabinet on the morning of the incident before the attack that the country would continue to combat “terrorism” on multiple fronts.

“We will continue to do all that is required to stop the group from restoring its ability to threaten us,” he stated.

Wider Situation

Israel has increased bombing raids in the southern region, pressing a campaign of near-daily attacks that it claims is intended to prevent a resurgence of forces by the faction in the frontier region.

Israeli authorities has accused the group of seeking to rearm since a American-endorsed peace agreement the previous year.

The group says it has complied with stipulations for it to terminate its military presence in the border region near Israel, and for the military forces to position there.