Beirut airport was targetted by a cyberattack on Sunday (Jan 7), said Lebanon’s state news agency, with local media sharing footage of the screen displays flashing anti-Hezbollah messages at its terminal.
“The cyberattack on the departure and arrival screens at the airport disrupted the BHS baggage inspection system,” the National News Agency said.
The news agency further added that the authorities were attempting to restore the screens “and to maintain normal movement at the airport”.
Local media circulated images of a message denouncing Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah group, which as per news agency AFP reports was displayed onscreen alongside the emblem of the Christian “Soldiers of God” group.
Since the Israel-Hamas conflict began on Oct 7, the Shiite Muslim movement Hezbollah and its arch-enemy Israel have engaged in almost daily cross-border gunfire, with the Lebanese group claiming it was operating in support of its Palestinian partner Hamas.
The message said the airport was “not the airport of Hezbollah and Iran”, according to the reports.
“Hassan Nasrallah, no one will support you if you drag the country into war,” it added, addressing the group’s leader, also saying “We will not fight on behalf of anyone.”
“You’re going to blow up our airport by bringing in weapons. Let the airport be freed from the grip of the (Hezbollah) statelet,” the airport message said.
Hezbollah source says local chief killed in Israeli strikes
Hezbollah on Thursday (Jan 4) said that a local leader was among four fighters killed overnight in southern Lebanon in Israeli strikes on the border town of Naqura.
As per AFP reports, the militant group said that the deaths included a local Hezbollah leader.
This comes after a strike on Beirut this week, which a US defence official said was carried out by Israel, killed a senior Hamas leader, which further raised tensions in the West Asia region due to the war in the Gaza Strip.
Providing details in a statement Hezbollah said that the four fighters had been killed “on the road to Jerusalem” – it is a phrase which they use to announce the deaths of its members due to Israeli fire since the Israel-Hamas fighting started on October 7.
Meanwhile, a source close to Hezbollah told AFP that four were killed in Naqura near the Israeli border, adding that one of them was the movement’s local leader.
Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing developments on the Israel-Palestine conflict after the Hamas attacks. However, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos.
(With inputs from agencies)
