3 journalists killed in Israeli airstrike

BEIRUT:

Three journalists were killed on Saturday as an Israeli airstrike targeted a vehicle they were travelling in near the city of Jezzine in southern Lebanon, according to an Anadolu correspondent.

The deceased include Al-Manar TV correspondent Ali Shuaib, Al-Mayadeen correspondent Fatima Fatouni and a cameraman.

In a statement, the Israeli army admitted the killing of Ali Shuaib, but did not comment on the deaths of the other two journalists. Earlier, the Lebanese National News Agency (NNA) reported that an Israeli airstrike targeted a car on the Al-Barad road in Jezzine, without providing further details.

Lebanese condemnation

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun condemned the Israeli strike as "a blatant crime". The Israeli military said it believed the Al-Manar journalist was a "terrorist in the intelligence unit of Hezbollah's Radwan Force".

A military source told AFP that the three were killed in an Israeli strike in Jezzine.

Israel launched airstrikes and artillery attacks on 42 towns, cities, and areas in Lebanon since dawn on Saturday, most of them in the south, according to the news agency.

The Israeli offensive against Lebanon, which began on March 2, has resulted in 1,142 deaths and 3,315 injuries, according to the latest figures from the Lebanese Ministry of Health.