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Israeli forces reportedly struck the chief of staff of Lebanon's Iran-backed group the Hezbollah organization in a airstrike on Beirut's southern suburbs, according to the office of the Israeli PM on Sunday.

This was the initial strike in months on the southern district of the capital city, an region renowned for hosting officials from the group.

Target Named as Military Leader

The objective of the attack was the military official the Hezbollah chief of staff, according to an Israeli source informed about the strike and a security official in Lebanon. The prime minister's office did not confirm whether Tabtabai was killed.

American Notification Particulars

A senior US official revealed that Israeli authorities did not notify Washington prior about the operation, per a social media post.

The authority clarified that the US government was informed following the strike, and a second senior US official said that the US had had information for days that Israeli forces was planning to intensify operations in the country.

Background on the Target

The US imposed sanctions on the Hezbollah official in 2016, labeling him as a critical military figure in the group and offering a bounty of up to five million dollars for intel on him.

Attack Details and Aftermath

The blast struck a main road in the capital's southern suburbs, where locals stated detecting the noise of jets before the explosion.

Civilians fled out of their apartment buildings out of concern of additional attacks, according to a journalist in the area.

No fewer than two individuals were lost their lives and two dozen were injured and taken to clinics in the area, as reported by health officials.

There was no quick statement from the organization.

Ongoing Israel's Operations

Israeli strikes on the Lebanese faction over the recent period have killed its previous chief Hassan Nasrallah, a significant part of the senior military leadership and about thousands of militants.

Comments from Prime Minister

The prime minister told his cabinet on the morning of the incident before the strike that Israel would persist to confront “terrorism” on multiple fronts.

“We will continue to do everything needed to stop Hezbollah from restoring its ability to endanger our security,” he declared.

Wider Context

Israeli forces has escalated airstrikes in southern Lebanon, advancing a operation of frequent strikes that it states is intended to prevent a rebuilding of capabilities by Hezbollah in the boundary zone.

Israel has charged Hezbollah of attempting to restock weapons since a American-endorsed peace agreement the previous year.

The group asserts it has abided by stipulations for it to end its military presence in the boundary zone near Israel, and for the military forces to deploy there.