In the fight against the terrorist organization Hezbollah, Israeli Defense Forces carried out air strikes and limited ground operations in the southern region of Lebanon. According to a source in AsiaNews, their target was a prominent Hezbollah fighter, Ahmad Awarki, the leader of the local Shia movement in the city of Sidon.

Unfortunately, the airstrikes did not only hit Hezbollah stands. Many civilians were injured and killed in the bombings. The air strike left 32 people dead and many injured in the Christian-majority village of Aïn el-Delb near Sidon. A similar situation occurred in Kfour, a Christian village near Nabatieh, where the bombings caused serious damage to multiple buildings and the local church.

Among the people injured is a Greek Orthodox priest. Fr. Gregorius Saloum, parish priest at the Greek Orthodox Church in Ibl al-Saqi, was reported injured by the air strikes. Initial reports said that he and his family were injured by the bombing that hit his home in al-Sagi Hill. Even though there was news about the passing of Fr. Saloum, the Greek Orthodox Archbishopric of Tyre and Sidon corrected this information and released a statement saying that Fr. Saloum and his family were injured in the bombings, but they are alive and receiving treatment in hospital.

Source: AsiaNews / Greek City Time