– 80,000 Evacuate Ancient Lebanese City Of Baalbek As Israel Unleashes Huge Airstrikes:
Huge Israeli airstrikes rocked Lebanon’s eastern city of Baalbek on Wednesday, nearly 70km northeast of Beirut, after Israel warned some 80,000 residents to evacuate.
It was the first such call to evacuate on such a large scale from Israel’s military (IDF) in this location (and so far north, significantly away from frontlines in southern Lebanon) since the war began, and main roads out of the city have been jammed and chaotic throughout the day.
“The city is almost empty,” an AFP correspondent described soon after the evacuation warning. Prior bombings in the same area (Bekaa Valley) left at least 60 people dead on Monday.
The IDF published a map alongside the warning to evacuate which included the entire extended city situated in the eastern Bekaa Valley – long known as a Hezbollah stronghold.
“The (Israeli army) will act forcefully against Hezbollah interests within your city and villages,” an Israeli military spokesman said on X.
The fresh Wednesday air raids on Baalbek, an ancient city and UNESCO site with many Roman ruins, began within just minutes after newly named Hezbollah chief, Sheikh Naim Qassem, started speaking in his first address as the Iran-backed paramilitary group’s Secretary-General.
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