West Asia crisis: Israeli military struck Hezbollah militants inside Lebanon mosque | Top updates

The Israeli military continues to intensify its offensive against Iran-back Lebanese militant group Hezbollah in Lebanon. On Saturday (Oct 5), the military said that it struck Hezbollah militantsinside a south Lebanon mosque overnight.

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In a statement, the military said, "Overnight, with the direction of IDF (army) intelligence, the IAF (air force) struck Hezbollah terrorists who were operating within a command centre that was located inside a mosque adjacent to the Salah Ghandour Hospital in southern Lebanon."

This attack on the mosque came as an Israeli strikehit Lebanon's northern city of Tripoli for the first time.

Hezbollah and Israel have been exchanging near-daily cross-border fire for almost a year, with the group saying it is acting in support of Palestinian ally Hamas over the Gaza war.

Here's a look at the latest updates from the West Asia crisis:

> A series of explosions were heard over Beirut's southern suburbs early Saturday after the Israeli army issued evacuation orders for parts of the area.

> The strike on the mosque in southern Lebanon was the first such strike since the Israel-Hezbollah conflict began.

> Hamas said on Saturday that anIsraeli strike killed one of its commanders in a refugee camp in Tripoli. "CommanderSaeed Attallah Ali, his wife and two daughters were killed in "Zionist bombardment of his house in the Beddawi camp," Hamas said in a statement.

>Israel has repeatedly targeted Hamas officials in Lebanon since the Gaza war erupted almost a year ago. Hamas has announced the deaths of at least 18 of its militants in Lebanon since then.

> Earlier this week, the Palestinian militant group said that an air strike on Monday killed its leader in Lebanon Fatah Sharif Abu al-Amine in his home in the Al-Bass camp in south Lebanon.

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> Israel's killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah last week has escalated the crisis in West Asia.

>Israel has been weighing options in its response toIran's ballistic missile attack on Tuesday, whichTehran had carried out in response to Israel's military action in Lebanon.

> On Friday, Iran threatened to respond to any direct attacks by Israel by striking the country’s energy and gas infrastructure.

>“If the occupiers make such a mistake, we will target all their energy sources, installations and all refineries and gas fields,” said Ali Fadavi, deputy commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards (IRGC), said.

> Fadavi's comments came soon afterIran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei made a rare sermon on Friday, describing Iran’s missile attack on Israel on Tuesday as a “legitimate” act.

>Nations worldwide including the United States (US), the United Kingdom (UK), China, Australia, and Belgiumhave prepared contingency plans to evacuate citizens from Lebanonfollowing the escalation of the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.Thousands of Lebanese people have already fled to Syria to escape the Israeli raid.

(With inputs from agencies)