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The Israeli military allegedly struck the chief of staff of Lebanon's Iran-aligned faction the Hezbollah organization in a operation on Beirut's southern suburbs, per the office of the Israeli PM on Sunday.

This marked the initial airstrike in several months on the southern suburbs of the Lebanese capital, an zone renowned for hosting Hezbollah officials.

Objective Named as Military Leader

The objective of the operation was the army leader Ali Tabtabai, per an Israeli source informed about the incident and a security official in Lebanon. The prime minister's office did not reveal whether Tabtabai was killed.

American Notification Details

A senior US official indicated that Israeli authorities failed to inform Washington beforehand about the strike, as mentioned in a online report.

The authority clarified that the US government was notified following the incident, and a second senior US official mentioned that the United States had known for days that Israeli forces was intending to escalate attacks in the country.

Background on the Target

The US levied restrictions on the Hezbollah official in recent years, classifying him as a prominent military figure in the group and announcing a bounty of up to $5m for information on him.

Strike Details and Consequences

The strike impacted a main road in the capital's southern suburbs, where locals reported detecting the sound of aircraft before the detonation.

People hurried out of their apartment buildings out of fear of further strikes, as stated by a correspondent in the zone.

At least two individuals were fatally wounded and several dozen were injured and taken to clinics in the region, as reported by health officials.

There was no quick statement from Hezbollah.

Recent Israel's Operations

Israeli strikes on the Lebanese faction over the recent period have taken the lives of its former leader the group's past leader, a significant part of the senior military leadership and about thousands of militants.

Statements from Israeli Leadership

The Israeli leader informed his government ministers on Sunday morning before the strike that Israel would continue to fight “militant activities” on multiple fronts.

“We will continue to do whatever is necessary to hinder the group from restoring its capability to endanger our security,” he said.

Wider Situation

Israel has increased airstrikes in the southern region, pressing a campaign of frequent strikes that it states is aimed to hinder a rebuilding of capabilities by Hezbollah in the border area.

Israel has alleged the group of attempting to acquire arms since a American-endorsed peace agreement recently.

The group says it has abided by conditions for it to cease its troop placement in the frontier area near the Israeli border, and for the Lebanese army to deploy there.