Mayor among five dead in Israeli airstrikes in south Lebanon: reports | World News

“According to a preliminary estimate, five people were killed in the Israeli enemy attack on two buildings, that of the Nabatiyeh community and that of the community association,” the ministry said in a statement.

The city’s mayor was among those killed in the strike, Reuters reported, citing security sources.

Rescue operations were underway and emergency teams were searching for survivors trapped under the rubble.

The attack is the latest in a series of deadly escalations as tensions have risen along the Israel-Lebanon border.

Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon have increased as the conflict between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip spills into neighboring areas, raising fears of a wider regional war.

The United States has expressed concern about the Israeli offensive in Lebanon and has taken a tougher tone. On Tuesday, US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said Washington had conveyed its concerns about the recent attacks to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government.

“When it comes to the scale and nature of the bombings we have seen in Beirut in recent weeks, we have made it clear to the Israeli government that we have concerns and are opposed to it,” Miller said.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates