The Israel-Lebanon border. Photo: Screenshot.

Reports in Hezbollah-affiliated media outlets about Monday’s explosion along the Lebanon-Israel border were later refuted by the Israeli army.

Hezbollah news sources Al-Manar and Al-Ahed claimed the organization had targeted a high-ranking Israeli officer in its attack on the Shebaa Farms, also known as Har Dov, with an explosive device. Other Lebanese news sites said that a senior Mossad official was the target, without explaining why such an official would be present at the location of the attack.

The attack, carried out by the terror group’s “Martyr Samir Kuntar Brigade,” was said to be a response to last month’s assassination of Hezbollah official Kuntar, for which Hezbollah holds Israel accountable. In its statement claiming responsibility for the attack, Hezbollah said it had “destroyed a Humvee vehicle and inflicted casualties on those inside it.” Al-Manar quoted “security sources” saying that one of the targeted vehicles was carrying the senior IDF officer.

The IDF denied all the above reports, asserting that no Israeli casualties had been incurred. IDF Spokesman Brigadier-General Moti Almoz said that two heavy armored vehicles, one of which was a D-9 armored bulldozer, were attacked, and not a Humvee as claimed by Hezbollah.

The IDF retaliated to the attack by firing 60 artillery shells at various Hezbollah targets in villages in southern Lebanon.