Israeli strike kills two in busy shopping district in south-west Beirut

Residents 'afraid to go back home' as Israel continues deadly bombardment of areas near Lebanese capital

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Two people were killed when Israel carried out an air strike on the Mar Elias district of south-western Beirut. The attack on Sunday night hit metres from two popular chocolate and sweets shops that are often crowded with customers.

It came hours after a strike on Beirut's Ras Al Nabaa area that killed four people, including Hezbollah's media relations chief Mohammed Afif. Israel has bombarded Hezbollah strongholds in the southern suburbs of the Lebanese capital since escalating its conflict with the group in September.

The attack on Mar Elias was the first time the area has been hit. The bustling street where the attack took place is lined with clothes shops and small restaurants.

"I can hear the ambulances now. The sound of the explosion was so loud, I felt I was going deaf for a moment," Hana, a local resident, told The National. "I walked through the area that was hit minutes before it happened. I went to check on my aunt who lives nearby and now I am afraid to go back home."

The strike hit a building housing a company called Madi Technology, Lebanon’s National News Agency said. The attack sparked a large fire in the building. Israel did not issue a warning before the attack and did not immediately announced that the target was.

The strike on Ras Al Nabaa on Sunday was confirmed by Israel and Hezbollah. At least 14 people were injured in the attack, Lebanon's Health Ministry said.

Israel has rarely launch strikes on senior Hezbollah officials who do not have clear military roles. Its air strikes mostly hit Beirut's southern suburbs, where the group has its heaviest presence.

Israel's military said late on Sunday that Mr Afif was dead. Iran, which backs Hezbollah, condemned the killing as an “aggressive and terrorist act”, saying it was another attempt “to silence those exposing crimes in Palestine and Lebanon”.

Lebanese Education Minister Abbas Halabi said schools and higher education institutions in the Beirut area would be closed for two days.

Elsewhere on Sunday, 11 people were killed and 48 injured in an Israeli strike on the southern Tyre region, the Health Ministry said. The Israeli military said it had struck "more than 200 targets" since Saturday morning, AFP reported.