Israel strikes rocket launcher, Israeli convoy hit by IEDs Sunday, drones return to Beirut
The Israeli army said Monday it attacked overnight "a fully equipped and ready-to-fire rocket launcher in the Qalawiya area of southern Lebanon, north of the front line, in order to prevent an immediate threat to northern Israeli towns."
"The launcher posed an immediate threat to IDF (Israeli army) forces and Israeli citizens," the Israeli army added.
Hezbollah meanwhile announced in a statement that bombs previously planted by the group had detonated Sunday against a convoy of eight Israeli armored vehicles in the southern town of Deir Seryan, suggesting that the IEDs had been planted before the ceasefire.
The statement further revealed that "the explosion, which occurred in two waves between 3:40 PM and 4:40 PM, destroyed four Merkava tanks, which were seen engulfed in flames before the enemy withdrew them from the scene at 6:00 PM."
Israeli media reports published Sunday had said that 37 Israeli soldiers were wounded over 24 hours, while noting that the Deir Seryan incident was not considered a violation of the truce seeing as the bombs had been planted prior to the ceasefire.
Israel meanwhile resumed Monday its low-altitude reconnaissance drone flights over Beirut and Baalbek, after similar activity on Sunday over Sidon and Tyre.
