Israel fires an airstrike in Lebanon’s capital in the latest fighting with Hezbollah

BEIRUT — The Israeli military launched an airstrike in Beirut on Friday, in the latest fighting between Israel and the Iran-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah that has expanded beyond the two countries’ shared border.

Lebanese health officials say at least three people were killed and 17 wounded in the Israeli strike in Lebanon’s capital.

It came hours after Hezbollah pounded northern Israel with 140 rockets, and the two sides traded dozens of missiles across the Israeli-Lebanese border overnight.

This latest round of fighting follows a series of near-synchronized pager and walkie-talkie explosions, which killed more than 32 people and wounded thousands more across Lebanon and in parts of Syria this week. Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah on Thursday vowed to retaliate against Israel.

Israel has not publicly commented on the electronic device attacks, but a U.S. official, who was not authorized to speak to reporters, told NPR that Israel notified Washington that it had carried out Tuesday’s attacks.

On Friday, Israel’s military said it carried out a “targeted strike” in Beirut.

Lebanon’s national news agency said initial reports showed an airstrike hit a building near the al-Qaim complex, used for religious gatherings in Dahiyeh district south of Beirut.

Lebanese television showed footage of extensive building damage, the wreckage of cars and ambulances racing to the site.

This is a developing story.