BEIRUT — An Israeli airstrike early Saturday targeted senior Hezbollah leader Mohammed Haider in the Basta area of central Beirut, according to Israel's Public Broadcasting Corporation (KAN).

KAN reported that the strike was an assassination attempt on Haider, a key figure within the Lebanese group.

An unnamed Israeli security source confirmed Haider was the intended target but did not verify whether he had been killed.

As of 9:45 a.m. GMT, Hezbollah had not issued an official response to the reports.

The attack destroyed a building in the densely populated Basta area, resulting in significant casualties.

Lebanon’s Civil Defense stated that rescue teams recovered 11 bodies and evacuated 23 injured individuals from the site.

This incident comes amid ongoing cross-border hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, with Israel intensifying its air campaign against alleged Hezbollah targets since late September.

Lebanese health authorities report that Israeli strikes have killed over 3,600 people, injured more than 15,300, and displaced over 1 million since October. The conflict escalated further on October 1, when Israeli forces launched a ground offensive into southern Lebanon. — Agencies