Beirut, April 16 — Israeli warplanes carried out two consecutive airstrikes on Thursday against the Qasmiyeh bridge over the Litani River in southern Lebanon, completely destroying it, according to Lebanese TV channel Al Jadeed. The bridge was part of the main coastal route connecting the city of Sidon with the Tyre area, and was the last remaining passage to southern Lebanon after the destruction of other nearby infrastructure. According to the Lebanese media, a drone carried out a two-phase attack near the bridge before the airstrikes. With the destruction of the bridge, traffic along the coastal route, a vital artery connecting the southern regions with the capital, Beirut, is severely disrupted. As a result, the Lebanese army evacuated a checkpoint at the bridge and closed the routes leading to the area.
