Israel said it carried out an air strike Sunday targeting Hezbollah's chief of staff in Beirut, hitting an apartment building in an operation which the Iran-backed militant group said crossed a red line.

Lebanon's health ministry said the strike killed five people and wounded 28. It did not give the identities of the people killed.

The strike took place in the Haret Hreik area in Beirut's southern suburbs, a densely-populated area where Hezbollah holds sway.

Hezbollah confirmed a senior commander was targeted in the strike, while an Israeli government spokeswoman declined to give the name of the target at this stage.

An AFP correspondent at the scene said the strike hit the third and fourth floors of a nine-storey building.

Debris littered the road below, with a car damaged in the str

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