The death toll from Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon since the beginning of the Israeli-Hezbollah conflict on Oct. 8, 2023 had reached 2,897, with injuries up to 13,150, the Lebanese Health Ministry said on Friday.
Fifty-two people were killed and 72 others injured on Friday in Israeli airstrikes on the city of Baalbek and surrounding towns and villages in eastern Lebanon, said the ministry.
Israeli forces have intensified their attacks on eastern Lebanon over the past days after issuing warnings to citizens, calling for the evacuation of entire cities, villages, and towns in the area.
Most of the casualties occurred in localities including Baalbek, Al-Alaq, Younine, Badnayel, Al-Bazaliyah, Amhaz, Iaat, Labweh, Harbata, Nahle, Taraya, and Hawsh An Nabi.
Since Sept. 23 this year, the Israeli army has conducted an intensive air attack on Lebanon, marking a dangerous escalation with Hezbollah.
2,897 killed, 13,150 injured in Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon: health ministry
The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and the Russian Federation on Saturday released press statements, respectively, on the common grounds reached during a strategic dialog between their foreign ministers in Moscow on Friday.
The press release by the Korean Central News Agency said that during the dialog between DPRK Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, the two sides expressed the common understanding that "the root cause of ever-escalating tensions in the Korean Peninsula, Northeast Asia and other parts of the world lies in the provocations of the United States and its vassal countries."
The foreign ministers of the DPRK and Russia agreed to hold more dialogs between external policy organs of the two countries, including the ministerial strategic dialog, at various levels, it said.
The Russian Foreign Ministry's press release said that during the strategic consultations, the two ministers "had a thorough exchange of opinions on the practical issues of developing the bilateral relations."
The Russian side expressed "full support of the measures being taken by the state leadership of the DPRK to contain the aggressive policy of the United States and its satellites," and to ensure peace and stability in the region, it said.
It also said that the foreign ministers' strategic consultations "make an important contribution to further development and expansion of the bilateral relations in line with the comprehensive strategic partnership between the Russian Federation and the DPRK."
DPRK, Russia release press statements on FM strategic dialog
