STORY: Plumes of dark smoke billowed over a residential area in Baabda, as explosions rocked Beirut's southern suburbs on Wednesday (March 4).

Footage showed thick smoke rising from the struck areas, with sounds of gunfire and view of planes taking off from the nearby Beirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport.

Israel has carried out waves of air strikes across Lebanon and sent troops into the south, as fighting along the Lebanese-Israeli border escalated with Hezbollah.

Shi'ite Muslim Hezbollah, established by Iran's Revolutionary Guards in 1982, opened fire on Israel to avenge the killing of Iran's supreme leader in joint strikes by Israel and the United States.

Hezbollah said on Wednesday its fighters fired a salvo of rockets at a gathering of Israeli forces near the Metula area along the frontier in response to Israeli strikes on dozens of Lebanese towns and cities, including Beirut's southern suburbs. The Israeli military on Wednesday warned residents of 16 villages in Lebanon to evacuate, saying Hezbollah activity was forcing it to act against the group and cautioning that anyone near Hezbollah fighters, facilities or weapons would be putting their lives at risk.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

VIDEO SHOWS: SMOKE RISING IN SOUTHERN SUBURB OF BEIRUT / AUDIO OF EXPLOSIONS AND GUNFIRE / PLANES TAKING OFF

RESENDING WITH COMPLETE SCRIPT

SHOWS: BAABDA, LEBANON (MARCH 4, 2026) (REUTERS - Access all)

1. AUDIO OF EXPLOSION IN AREA NEAR BEIRUT-RAFIC HARIRI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (0738GMT)

2. SMOKE BILLOWING IN RESIDENTIAL AREA (0740GMT), CLOUD OF SMOKE RISING

3. PLUME OF DARK GRAY SMOKE RISING RESIDENTIAL AREA / CAMERA ZOOMS IN SLIGHTLY (0641GMT) / AUDIO OF EXPLOSION

4. VARIOUS OF SMOKE RISING (2 SHOTS / FROM 0642GMT)

5. PLANE FLYING IN DISTANCE / AUDIO OF GUNFIRE

6. PEOPLE WALKING IN THE STREET / AUDIO OF GUNFIRE

7. PLANE FLYING IN DISTANCE / AUDIO OF GUNFIRE (0708GMT)

8. PLANE TAKING OFF FROM BEIRUT-RAFIC HARIRI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (0710GMT)