Hezbollah fires several heavy rocket salvos at Israel as ‘initial response’ to killing of al-Arouri

Heaviest barrage of 40 rockets targets IDF army base on Mount Meron

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Further escalating the tensions in Israel’s north, Lebanon's terror organization Hezbollah fired several rocket barrages at Israeli targets on Saturday in what it called an “initial response” to the killing of Hamas leader Saleh al-Arouri in the Lebanese capital Beirut last Tuesday.

Many residents of northern Israel awoke to the sound of sirens on Saturday morning, as rocket alarms were activated across the whole of Upper Galilee, from the Sea of Galilee to the Mediterranean Sea.

Shortly after, the IDF stated that most of the sirens had been false alarms after a salvo of 40 rockets was fired from southern Lebanon at the IDF radar station on Mount Meron.

The Israeli army didn’t report any injuries or damage resulting from the attack, adding that its forces responded by striking a terror squad that took part in the launches.

🔴 Massive Rocket Alerts [08:06:30] - 94 Alerts:

• Southern Golan — Almagor#Israel #RocketAlert #RedAlert pic.twitter.com/TO4kmTNK8E
— ILRedAlert (@ILRedAlert) January 6, 2024

Hezbollah took responsibility for the attack, claiming it to be only the “initial response to the crime” of killing Hamas leader Saleh al-Arouri in the group’s stronghold in the Dahiyeh neighborhood of Beirut last week.

The barrage of 40 rockets, aimed at one of the IDF’s most strategically important bases in northern Israel, was answered with waves of airstrikes against Hezbollah targets across southern Lebanon.

🇮🇱🇱🇧: Fighter jets of the Air Force recently attacked two military compounds of the terrorist organization Hezbollah. The compounds constituted significant assets for the organization, including a military compound used by the Hezbollah terrorist organization's surface-to-air… pic.twitter.com/Wq8vO42CzJ
— Darkmode (@_thedarkmode) January 6, 2024

One strike hit targets on the outskirts of Kouthariyeh al-Siyad, a village some 40 kilometers (25 miles) north of Israel, near the city of Sidon, according to the Lebanese state-run National News Agency.

According to the IDF, the attack was carried out unusually far from the Israeli border and was aimed toward two strategic Hezbollah compounds, including air-to-surface missile systems.

These systems have endangered Israeli aircraft operating in Lebanon’s skies several times, as was proven again on Saturday when a missile was unsuccessfully fired at an Israeli drone.

In addition, Hezbollah took responsibility for several other attacks on Saturday, including targets in the Israeli cities of Metula, Kiryat Shmona, and several smaller towns.

The IDF stated that an Air Force drone attacked a terrorist squad while shooting at Metula, and destroyed a series of terror targets, including launch sites, command sites, and other buildings in Ayta al-Sha’ab, Yaroun, Ramyah and Mais al-Jabal.

After Hamas leader Saleh al-Arouri was assassinated by a drone on Tuesday, both Hamas and the Lebanese terror group Hezbollah had vowed revenge against Israel, who they blame for the attack.

Israeli officials have not commented on these accusations but many politicians praised the killing of one of the terror group's most notorious leaders.