Israeli airstrike on western Beqaa kills 4, including mayor, Lebanese state media says
A local mayor was among four people killed by an Israeli airstrike in the town of Baaloul, located in the Beqaa Valley of eastern Lebanon, according to the country’s National News Agency (NNA)
Lebanon’s health ministry confirmed the deaths, stating that an “Israeli enemy raid on Baaloul in the Western Beqaa” occurred on Saturday, though it did not specifically mention the mayor. The NNA report noted that the casualties from the “airstrike on a residential apartment” included Haidar Shahla, the mayor of the nearby town of Sohmor.
Emergency services are working to identify the remains and body parts recovered from the rubble, according to the health ministry.
CNN has reached out to the Israeli military for comment on the incident.
An image verified by CNN shows a large plume of smoke rising behind a mosque in Baaloul.
