Smoke was seen billowing over the Nabatieh area in southern Lebanon from Marjayoun on Wednesday (October 16) following an Israeli strike, Reuters reports.
The strike on the municipal building in Nabatieh, a major town in southern Lebanon, which serves as a provincial capital, killed the mayor Ahmed Kahil and at least five others, two security sources said.
The strike came despite U.S. concerns about rising death tolls and fears of all-out war in the region as Israel battles Iran-backed Hezbollah in south Lebanon and in the capital Beirut and the Palestinian militants Hamas in Gaza.
The Israeli military said it struck dozens of Hezbollah targets in the Nabatieh area and dismantled underground infrastructure.
The Israeli military resumed strikes in southern Beirut on Wednesday after sparing the Lebanese capital for a few days, with concerns rising over possible attacks targeting the Beirut Port, a pillar of Lebanon's economy.
Israel has attacked Beirut for the first time since last Friday. Shelling hit the southern district of the Lebanese capital, which is known to be a Hezbollah stronghold.
According to an Israeli statement, the strikes targeted an ammunition depot located under a building in a residential neighborhood. Israel said it had earlier warned residents to evacuate the area. No casualties have been reported so far.
Beirut has braced for attacks after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would strike anywhere in Lebanon including the capital city. It's a major development as sources in Washington and the Prime Minister of Lebanon Nagub Miqati earlier said there was an unofficial agreement that Israel would ease strikes on the Lebanese capital.
Meanwhile, observers are bracing for the possibility that the military offensive will damage the Beirut Port.
