Israel Retaliates for Thursdays Rocket Attacks, More Deadly Sectarian Violence Breaks out in Northern Lebanon

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A militant group's base in southern Lebanon was bombed by Israel on Friday in retaliation for the across the border rocket attacks on Thursday according to Israeli officials. A spokesman for the Israel Defense Forces say that Israeli warplanes successfully targeted a position in Naameh.

The rocket attacks on Thursday were not immediately claimed by any militant organization, but the Brigades of Abdullah Azzam eventually announced that they were reponsible for the rockets fired into Israel.

The airstrike that struck Naameh, 19 miles south of Beirut, occurred at 4 am but did not result in any casualties. There was no explanation as to why Israel chose to fire on Naameh as Thursday’s rocket attacks did not originate from that location. Israel did not comment on the specific target at that location. Israel suspects that Thursday’s attacks came from the village of Qlayleh near Tyre, where four wooden launch pads were located. Thursday’s rocket attack caused only minor damage at a kibbutz near Nahariya.

Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon said on Friday, “The state of Israel is holding the Lebanese government accountable for what is going on in its territory and will not sit by with every firing or provocation.” Yaalon continued, stating, “We will not let anyone disrupt our citizens’ lives.”

Elsewhere, in northern Lebanon, two mosques in Tripoli were targetted by bombs in what is the largest and deadliest attacks in Lebanon since the end of their civil war, killing an estimated 42 people and wounding hundreds more. Those bombs struck at the closing of Friday prayers. The two car-bombs are raising fears of escalating sectarian violence in that country.

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Although no motive for the attacks are known, the bombs targetted mosques run by Imams with ties to the Syrian rebels fighting in Syria.

The first bomb was detonated near the Sunni al Taqwa mosque, the second near the al Salam Mosque, the bombs were detonated only minutes apart.

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Israel Retaliates for Thursdays Rocket Attacks, More Deadly Sectarian Violence Breaks out in Northern Lebanon added by on
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