By Tal Shalev, Charbel Mallo and Tamar Michaelis
(CNN) — Lebanese authorities say dozens of people were killed when Israeli commandos raided a border region hunting for the remains of a long-missing airman.
Late Friday night, four Israeli helicopters crossed into Lebanese airspace and flew to a border area between Lebanon and Syria, the Lebanese military said in a statement. Two helicopters then landed while there was an “intense and widespread” bombardment of the area which targeted nearby villages, the statement added.
As the Israeli force approached the village of Nabi Chit, the Lebanese military said the commandos engaged in a firefight with Hezbollah militants and local residents.
Hezbollah said in a statement that its fighters had fired on the “enemy infantry force” with “light and medium weapons” as the commandos neared a cemetery in the village’s eastern neighborhood. The Iran-backed militant group said it carried out “concentrated fire” on the Israeli forces as they withdrew from the area.
Social media video from the town of Nabi Chit, geolocated by Reuters, showed a massive crater in the ground after the Israeli operation. Buildings surrounding the crater show extensive damage, and the street is littered with chunks of concrete and rubble.
The Israeli force was searching for the remains of navigator Ron Arad, who has been missing since 1986 after he was forced to eject from his F-4 fighter jet. In 2008, Hezbollah announced Arad was dead. The commando raid was based on intelligence gathered from Ahmad Shuker, a Lebanese security official who was reportedly kidnapped in December, an Israeli source said.
But the soldiers on the ground failed to locate Arad’s remains.
Shawk al-Masri, who lives in the village, told Reuters he endured a “night of hell” as he “heard the helicopters over our house all night.”
“They were so low we thought they would land on us,” he said. “People in the town woke up and started shooting at them, then the warplanes started bombing. It was a very violent night and only calmed down when the sun came up.”
The Lebanese health ministry said the Israeli raid and strikes killed 41 people and wounded 40 more.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement that no Israeli soldiers were injured. Asked about Lebanese casualties, the IDF said it was not aware of any casualties based on its information. Pressed on whether Israel carried out airstrikes in conjunction with the commando raid, the IDF claimed that during the event there were no casualties according to its information.
Tami Arad, the widow of the Ron Arad, thanked the government for the effort but urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to do anything that puts soldiers at risk. “For us, the sanctity of life takes priority over the commitment to bring back the remains of a soldier to burial,” she said on Facebook. “As a family, we declared more than once that we object to operations that will risk soldiers.”
The raid came amid intense Israeli strikes targeting Hezbollah, launched in the wake of the new conflict with Iran.
The-CNN-Wire™ & © 2026 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.
Dozens killed, authorities say, as Israeli commandos raid Lebanon in hunt for missing airman News Channel 3-12.
Hence then, the article about dozens killed authorities say as israeli commandos raid lebanon in hunt for missing airman was published today ( ) and is available on News channel ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Dozens killed, authorities say, as Israeli commandos raid Lebanon in hunt for missing airman )
Also on site :
- Lebanese army: Three soldiers, several civilians martyred in bombing accompanying Israeli landing operation in Baalbek
- Democrat Shutdowns Threaten Homeland Security Amid Heightened Threats .. Opinion
- Trump prometió publicar archivos sobre extraterrestres y ovnis. ¿Por qué no lo ha hecho todavía y qué podrían contener?