At least two people were killed in an explosion in a building in a small Lebanese village near the coastal city of Tyre, Lebanon, sources said on Monday evening.
A view of the coastal Lebanese city of Tyre.
The building is reportedly the home of senior Hizbullah official Abd al-Nasser Issa. Security forces in Lebanon reported that both Issa and his son were killed in the explosion. Three other people were reportedly killed in the blast.
Hizbullah denied any casualties, saying that only one person was wounded.
The organization has been warning its senior officials against assassination attempts.
The explosion was heard at approximately 8:30 p.m. in the village of Tyre Falasia. Hizbullah sources told a Lebanese news website that the explosion originated in an IDF artillery shell that was left over from the Second Lebanon War.
Another report stated that the explosion followed a meeting held by Hizbullah officials in the village. Sources in the village estimated that the officials arrived at the home of Issa to practice the preparation of explosive devices or rockets and the explosion was caused by an accident. The sources said a fire started following the explosion and that firefighters had to cut electrical power to the village in order to quell the flames. The Lebanese Armed Forces were reportedly investigating the incident.
The explosion was followed by secondary explosions, an indication that there were large quantities of dynamite in the building.
