Three people, including two Bangladeshis, have been killed in an Israeli drone strike in southern Lebanon, local media reported. The other person killed was a Syrian national.
The casualties were caused by an Israeli drone strike on a residential house in the Zebdin area of the Nabatieh district, Lebanon-based media outlet Lorient Today reported on Monday. All of the victims worked as laborers there. However, the names of the two Bangladeshis who died were not immediately released.
According to reports, the attack is believed to have taken place on Sunday night. Workers who were in the building during the attack were directly affected by the explosion.
Since the escalation of regional tensions in the Middle East over the Gaza war, southern Lebanon has become one of the main fronts in the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. Despite several ceasefires being declared, in reality, attacks and counterattacks in the border areas continue.
Israel has been carrying out a series of air and drone strikes in southern Lebanon in recent weeks. Israel claims the strikes target Hezbollah positions and infrastructure. However, local sources and human rights groups allege that many civilians have also been killed or injured in the operations.
Meanwhile, the Iran-backed armed group Hezbollah has continued to launch rocket and drone attacks targeting Israeli military positions in the border area. The group also claimed new drone attacks against Israeli forces on Monday.
Earlier, on April 16, US President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. However, despite the ceasefire, Israeli military operations in southern Lebanon have not completely stopped. The local administration of Lebanon and various international monitoring organizations say that the ongoing attacks are causing widespread damage to residential areas, infrastructure and the lives and livelihoods of ordinary people.
There have also been renewed concerns about the safety of Bangladeshi workers in Lebanon. So far, there has been no official response from the Bangladesh Foreign Ministry or the Bangladesh Embassy in Beirut on the incident.