Lebanon: Israeli airstrikes kill 29 in Beirut as Israel intensifies attacks
Beirut: A new wave of Israeli airstrikes targeted Beirut and its southern suburbs, escalating the ongoing conflict with Hezbollah. The attacks follow a deadly assault the previous day that left 29 dead and 66 injured in the Lebanese capital.
On Sunday, the Israeli military announced that it had carried out "intelligence-based strikes" against Hezbollah command centers in Beirut's southern neighborhoods, including Haret Hreik, Burj Barajneh, and Hadath, as reported by Xinhua news agency. Within just 30 minutes, local TV station al-Jadeed documented 12 airstrikes in the area.
Videos shared online captured plumes of dense black smoke rising from the targeted suburbs, indicating the intensity of the bombardment. Prior to the strikes, Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee used social media to warn residents to evacuate several buildings in the southern part of the city.
The fresh wave of airstrikes follows a Saturday attack on an eight-storey residential building in Beirut’s Basta Fawka neighborhood. While Israeli reports suggested the target was a senior Hezbollah official, Lebanese lawmaker and Hezbollah member Amin Sherri denied any political or military figures were present in the building during the assault.
In retaliation, Hezbollah declared it had destroyed five Israeli Merkava tanks in southern Lebanon using guided missiles on Sunday. The group also claimed to have launched attacks on several locations in northern Israel, including Kerem ben Zimra and Kfar Blum.
The hostilities have intensified since September 23, with Israeli forces increasing airstrikes on Lebanon and launching a ground offensive across the northern border in early October.
Lebanon’s Health Ministry released figures on Sunday indicating that Israeli airstrikes have resulted in 3,754 deaths and 15,626 injuries since the conflict reignited on October 8, 2023.
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Three company directors held in Rs 100-crore investment fraud in Kochi
Kochi (Kerala) (PTI): Police on Sunday arrested three directors of a firm accused of cheating hundreds of investors of over Rs 100 crore through a fake investment scheme linked to agricultural tourism here, officials said.
The accused were identified as Muraleedharan, Ashik Murali and Akhil Murali, all natives of Thrissur.
The arrests were made by the Kalamassery police in connection with a fraud involving ATCOS (Agri Tourism Cooperative Society), a firm headquartered at Pathadipalam here.
Police said the company had promised high returns by collecting investments from the public in the agricultural tourism sector, but allegedly cheated hundreds of people and fled with the money.
ATCOS was registered under the Multi-State Cooperative Societies Act and operated 13 branches across various districts in Kerala, besides a branch in Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu, officials said.
When investors failed to receive their promised returns or the invested amount, complaints were filed with the police.
Officials said around 54 cases have been registered against the firm in 32 police stations across the state, including 29 cases at the Kalamassery police station alone.
Following instructions from Kochi City Police Commissioner K S Mahesh Kumar, a special investigation team was formed under the supervision of Deputy Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Shehensha and Thrikkakara ACP Manoj Kumar.
The team traced the accused to an apartment in Amala Nagar in Thrissur, where they had been hiding after secretly renting the flat, officials said.
The bank accounts of the accused have been frozen, and steps have been initiated to trace their assets, officials said.
Police also conducted a raid at the company’s office at Pathadipalam and seized several documents related to the case.
The accused were produced before the Judicial First Class Magistrate Court in Kalamassery, which remanded them to judicial custody and sent them to Kakkanad jail.
Police said they would seek the custody of the accused for further interrogation as the investigation continues.
