Israeli air strike hits Lebanon's Beirut, one woman killed, seven wounded

Israel has launched an air strike on Beirut's southern suburbs in what the Israeli military said was retaliation for a rocket attack three days before.

According to Initial reports from Lebanon's State media, one woman has been killed and seven others wounded.

A loud blast was heard and a plume of smoke could be seen rising above the southern suburbs - a stronghold of the Hezbollah - at around 1640 GMT, a Reuters witness said.

A senior Lebanese security source said a senior Hezbollah commander had been the target of the air strike and his fate remained unclear.

Lebanon's state-run national news agency said an Israeli air strike had targeted the area around Hezbollah's Shura Council in the Haret Hreik neighbourhood of the capital.

Beirut has been on edge for days ahead of an anticipated Israeli attack in reprisal for the rocket strike on the occupied Golan Heights on Saturday.

Hezbollah has denied involvement in that attack.

In a statement, the Israeli military said it had conducted "a targeted strike in Beirut on the commander responsible for the attack and the killing of Israeli civilians".

Shortly before the explosion in south Beirut, the Israeli military said 15 projectiles had been fired across the Lebanese border within the past few hours, with impacts in parts of the Upper Galilee region. No injuries were reported.