Beirut (AP): The Lebanese Hezbollah group said it launched over 200 rockets on Thursday at several military bases in Israel in retaliation for a strike that killed one of its senior commanders.

The attack by the Iran-backed group was one of the largest in the monthslong conflict along the Lebanon-Israel border, with tensions escalating in recent weeks.

The Israeli military said "numerous projectiles and suspicious aerial targets" had entered its territory from Lebanon, many of which it said were intercepted. There were no immediate reports of casualties.

It said about 200 “projectiles” were launched toward the occupied Syrian Golan Heights and over 20 drones into Israeli territory, but that it had intercepted some of them.

Israel after Hezbollah's attack struck various towns in southern Lebanon. The Israeli military said it struck Hezbollah's “military structures” in the southern border towns of Ramyeh and Houla.

Lebanon's state-run National News Agency reported an Israeli drone strike of Houla killed at least one person. Israeli jets also broke the sound barrier over the Lebanese capital and other areas in the country.

Israel on Wednesday acknowledged that it had killed Mohammad Naameh Nasser, who headed one of Hezbollah's three regional divisions in southern Lebanon, a day earlier.

Hours after the killing, Hezbollah launched scores of Katyusha rockets and Falaq rockets with heavy warheads into northern Israel and the occupied Syrian Golan Heights. It launched more rockets on Thursday and said it had also sent exploding drones into several bases.

Nasser was of great importance to Hezbollah, which said he took part in battles in conflicts in Syria and Iraq from 2011 until 2016 and fought in the group's last war with Israel in 2006. Two other senior Hezbollah commanders have also been killed.

The US and France are continuing to scramble to prevent the skirmishes from spiraling into an all-out war, which they fear could spillover across the region. Washington in its shuttle diplomatic efforts initially hoped for calm along the Lebanon-Israel border in a deal that is not linked to the war in Gaza. However, since the US has called for Hamas to agree to a cease-fire proposal presented by President Joe Biden, it has said that an end to the war in Gaza would lead to calm in Lebanon and northern Israel as well.

 

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Mumbai, Nov 24: There is unrest in the Maha Vikas Aghadi camp and its five to six MLAs might join the ruling Mahayuti in the next few months, claimed NCP chief whip Anil Patil, who has retained his Amalner assembly seat, on Sunday.

The MVA of Congress, NCP (SP) and Shiv Sena (UBT) suffered a crushing blow in the Maharashtra assembly polls, winning only 46 of the state's 288 seats. By contrast, the BJP-led ruling coalition, which also has NCP and Shiv Sena as partners, bagged an impressive 230 seats.

“There is tremendous unrest among some NCP (SP), Congress and Sena (UBT) MLAs who have been re-elected. Those having good relations with us have expressed concerns over MVA’s massive defeat,” Patil told Marathi news channel ABP Majha.

If one wants development works in his constituency, it is good to be in power, said the legislator from Ajit Pawar’s party.

“The MVA MLAs feel their future is uncertain. It shouldn’t be a surprise if five to six MLAs cross over to the Mahayuti in the next four months,” he said.

In the results of the Maharashtra polls declared on Saturday, BJP won in 132 constituencies, while its partners Shiv Sena and NCP walked away with 57 and 41 seats, respectively.

From the MVA camp, Shiv Sena (UBT) bagged 20 seats followed by Congress’ 16 and 10 by NCP (SP).