Deadly Israeli strikes kill nine in southern Lebanon as tensions escalate

Deadly Israeli strikes kill nine in southern Lebanon as tensions escalate Submitted by MEE staff on Sat, 08/15/2026 - 13:49 Prime Minister Nawaf Salam says civilians killed in the town of Ansar were 'not military infrastructure' A man watches as heavy machinery, first responders and residents search the site of an Israeli air strike in Deir al-Zahrani, southern Lebanon, on 15 August 2026 (Abbas Fakih/AFP) Off At least nine people were killed and more than a dozen wounded after Israeli air strikes hit several towns and villages in southern Lebanon early Saturday, state media reported. Lebanon's National News Agency reported that an Israeli strike hit a house on the outskirts of Ansar in the Nabatieh district, killing seven people and wounding others. Another strike in Deir al-Zahrani killed at least two people and wounded several others, as the Israeli military intensified attacks across the Nabatieh region before dawn, according to local media reports .