New Delhi, 16 October (H.S.):

Israeli strike hit Beirut's southern suburbs early on Wednesday morning, hours

after the US said it opposed the scope of Israeli attacks in Beirut amid a

rising death toll and fears of wider regional escalation. Witnesses heard two

blasts and saw plumes of smoke emerging from two separate neighbourhoods. It

came after Israel issued an evacuation order early on Wednesday which mentioned

only one building.

The Israeli military has in recent weeks carried out strikes on Beirut's

southern suburbs, a Hezbollah stronghold, without advance warnings, or issued a

warning for one area while striking more broadly.

The Israeli military said it conducted a strike on an underground Hezbollah

weapons stockpile in the southern Beirut suburb of Dahiyeh.

Prior to the strike, numerous steps were taken to mitigate the risk

of harming civilians, including advancing warnings to the population in the

area, the Israeli military said.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Nimish kumar