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Israeli forces reportedly targeted the top military official of Lebanon's Iran-backed group the Hezbollah organization in a strike on the capital's southern suburbs, per the office of the Israeli PM on Sunday.

This marked the initial strike in months on the southern district of the Lebanese capital, an region known for sheltering officials from the group.

Objective Identified as Ali Tabtabai

The focus of the strike was the commanding officer the Hezbollah chief of staff, as reported by an source from Israel informed about the incident and a Lebanese security source. The prime minister's office did not reveal whether Tabtabai was killed.

US Notification Particulars

A senior US official indicated that Israeli authorities did not alert the US administration beforehand about the airstrike, per a online report.

The official added that the administration was alerted immediately after the incident, and a another American official mentioned that the United States had known for several days that Israel was planning to intensify attacks in Lebanon.

History on the Target

The US imposed penalties on Tabtabai in recent years, classifying him as a critical military figure in the group and announcing a reward of up to $5m for intel on him.

Attack Details and Aftermath

The airstrike impacted a primary street in Beirut's southern suburbs, where residents reported detecting the sound of warplanes before the blast.

Civilians fled out of their apartment buildings out of fear of further strikes, according to a correspondent in the zone.

At least two individuals were lost their lives and several dozen were injured and rushed to clinics in the vicinity, according to medical sources.

There was no prompt response from the group.

Ongoing Israeli Operations

Attacks by Israel on the Lebanese faction over the past couple of years have eliminated its former leader the group's past leader, a significant part of the senior military leadership and about 5,000 fighters.

Comments from Israeli Leadership

The prime minister told his government ministers on Sunday morning before the attack that Israel would continue to fight “militant activities” on multiple fronts.

“We will continue to do whatever is necessary to prevent the group from restoring its capacity to threaten us,” he stated.

Broader Context

Israeli forces has stepped up air attacks in the southern region, advancing a campaign of frequent strikes that it states is aimed to hinder a rebuilding of capabilities by Hezbollah in the frontier region.

Israeli authorities has accused the group of trying to rearm since a truce supported by the US recently.

The faction claims it has abided by conditions for it to terminate its troop placement in the border region near the Israeli border, and for the military forces to station there.