The IDF struck terrorists operating in a Hamas training compound in the Ain al-Hilweh area in southern Lebanon, the military said Tuesday.
The military said it was working against the establishment of the Hamas terrorist organization in Lebanon, and will continue to “act forcefully against Hamas terrorists wherever they operate.”
"The military compound that was struck was used by Hamas terrorists for training and exercises in order to plan and carry out terrorist attacks against IDF troops and the State of Israel," the IDF release stated.
Thirteen people were killed in the strike, and four were injured, the Lebanese Health Ministry stated.
Hospitals in Sidon, where the camp is located, issued calls for blood donations to help treat the wounded.
The training facility that was attacked had been under surveillance for a long time, IDF sources told Ynet.
Intelligence teams were waiting for an opportunity when dozens of junior terrorists would gather in order to strike, the source said.
Lebanese channel Al-Mayadeen reported that the IDF struck with three projectiles.
IDF strikes Hamas training facility in Lebanon
Hamas denied that it has training compounds in Lebanon, and claimed that the IDF struck a sports field where teenage boys train, N12 News reported.
The terror organization also called the strike "a blatant violation of Lebanon’s sovereignty" and added that it "reflects the enemy’s true intentions and its behavior aimed at dragging the region into further escalation and instability."
This comes after the IDF confiscated weapons, struck five terror sites, and killed three Hezbollah terrorists in a series of operations led by the IDF's 91st Division last week.
Reuters contributed to this report.