BEIRUT, July 25. /TASS/. The air defense units of the Shiite Hezbollah militia opened fire on the Israeli Air Force fighter jets that appeared in the sky over the southern part of Lebanon, the movement said in a statement posted on its Telegram channel.

"The fighters of the Islamic Resistance used surface-to-air missiles against the enemy planes that entered Lebanese airspace, forcing them to turn back toward the border," the statement said.

Earlier, the Al Mayadeen TV channel reported that the Israeli Air Force struck the towns of Bint Jbeil, Kfar Hammam and Al-Hiyam, which serve as outposts for Shiite militias. Authorities said that the airstrikes destroyed eight houses and damaged 22 others.

According to the country’s Interior Ministry, more than 3,200 houses have suffered material damage since tensions escalated in southern Lebanon in October 2023. The number of civilian casualties has risen to 104 in ten months. Hezbollah and Palestinian groups have lost 518 fighters.