Dozens of rockets fired from S. Lebanon to N. Israel

Dozens of rockets and heavy artillery shells were fired toward Israeli positions on the Shebaa Farms, a disputed strip of land at the intersection of the Lebanese-Syrian border and the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights, early Sunday morning, Lebanese army intelligence sources confirmed to Xinhua.

Sounds of massive explosions have been echoing throughout the villages of Al-Arqub and Hasbaya since the early morning, and centers in Ruwaisat Al-Alam and a radar site were subjected to heavy artillery shelling, according to the state-run Lebanese National News Agency.

Lebanese army intelligence sources confirmed to Xinhua that "more than 35 missiles and artillery shells targeted Israeli positions along the disputed Shebaa Farms front, and the bombing targeted the radar sites, Al-Alam, Al-Samaqa and Zebdine."

Lebanese armed group Hezbollah has claimed responsibility for the mortar and rocket attack in northern Israel and said it is in solidarity with the Palestinians.

In response, the Israeli military fired artillery into the Lebanese area from which the attack originated, an army spokesperson said in a statement. Later, a drone attack was launched, targeting tents set up by Hezbollah in the region, according to the spokesperson.

"The Israeli 155 mm heavy artillery responded with violent shelling, targeting the outskirts of the villages of Kfarchouba, Shebaa, Halta and the heights of Jabal al-Wastani, southeast Lebanon, causing material damage," the sources said.

Residents of Kfar Shouba, a Lebanese village along the border, said they could hear sounds of shelling around them and estimated several dozen Israeli shells had hit the area, local news outlet L'Orient Today reported.

Later, "after it continued for about an hour and a half early Sunday morning," sources confirmed to Xinhua that "the exchange of artillery and missile shelling between Hezbollah and the Israeli army has stopped completely."

The Lebanese army declared a state of maximum alert within its ranks and pushed additional forces towards the Shebaa Farms axis.

The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) has intensified its patrols along the Blue Line separating Lebanon and Israel.

On Oct. 7, Palestinian militants launched almost 3,000 rockets against Israel and dozens of militants infiltrated southern Israel, igniting the conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Hamas group.

The incident came amid months of rising tensions along the Israeli-Lebanese border and a day after Hamas, an Islamist Palestinian group that runs the Gaza Strip, launched the massive attack on Israel, killing at least 300 Israelis, according to rescue services. In response, Israel launched airstrikes on Gaza, killing at least 313 Palestinians.