Hezbollah claims it ambushed Israeli Forces at Lebanese Border, forced them to retreat
Beirut: Hezbollah announced on Wednesday that it had repelled an Israeli infantry force attempting to infiltrate the Lebanese town of Odaisseh at dawn, claiming to have inflicted casualties on the Israeli soldiers and forcing them to retreat. The clashes occurred amid rising tensions along the Lebanon-Israel border.
Videos circulating on social media show nearly 20 ambulances positioned in northern Israel, prepared to receive wounded soldiers being evacuated from the Lebanese border area by helicopter. Israeli media confirmed a "serious security incident" along the border, with hospitals in northern Israel on high alert to handle potential casualties.
While the Israeli military acknowledged intense clashes between its soldiers and Hezbollah fighters at the border, it did not release specific details on the number of casualties.
In a statement, Hezbollah said the confrontation was part of their operations "in support of our steadfast Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip" and in defense of Lebanon. The group claimed to have ambushed Israeli soldiers attempting to infiltrate from Odaisseh and Kfar Kila.
Israeli airstrikes on Hezbollah positions in Beirut's southern suburbs continue, following months of heightened cross-border attacks. The Lebanese Ministry of Health’s Emergency Response Center reported that Israeli strikes on Lebanon over the past year have resulted in the deaths of 1,873 people and left 9,134 wounded. More than 100,000 people have been displaced due to the escalating conflict.
Despite suffering heavy losses in recent weeks, Hezbollah insists it remains prepared to confront any potential Israeli invasion of Lebanese territory.
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South African police arrest suspect in mass shooting that killed 12, including 3 children
Johannesburg (AP): A 32-year-old suspect has been arrested in connection with a mass shooting which claimed the lives of 12 people including three children at an unlicensed pub earlier this month, South African police said on Monday.
The man is suspected of being one of the three people who opened fire on patrons in a pub at Saulsville township, west of South Africa's capital Pretoria, killing 12 people including three children aged 3, 12 and 16.
At least 13 people were also injured during the attack, whose motive remains unknown.
According to the police, the suspect was arrested on Sunday while traveling to Botlokwa in Limpopo province, more than 340 km from where the mass shooting took place on Dec 6.
An unlicensed firearm believed to have been used during the attack was recovered from the suspect's vehicle.
“The 32-year-old suspect was intercepted by Limpopo Tracking Team on the R101 Road in Westenburg precinct. During the arrest, the team recovered an unlicensed firearm, a hand gun, believed to have been used in the commission of the multiple murders. The firearm will be taken to the Forensic Science Laboratory for ballistic analysis,” police said in statement.
The suspect was arrested on the same day that another mass shooting at a pub took place in the Bekkersdal township, west of Johannesburg, in which nine people were killed and 10 wounded when unknown gunmen opened fire on patrons.
Police have since launched a search for the suspects.
South Africa has one of the highest homicide rates in the world and recorded more than 26,000 homicides in 2024 — an average of more than 70 a day. Firearms are by far the leading cause of death in homicides.
The country of 62 million people has relatively strict gun ownership laws, but many killings are committed with illegal guns, according to authorities.
According to police, mass shootings at unlicensed bars are becoming a serious problem. Police shut down more than 11,000 illegal taverns between April and September this year and arrested more than 18,000 people for involvement in illegal liquor sales.
