JERUSALEM: The Israeli military on Thursday said it hit a facility in southern Lebanon belonging to Iran-backed group Hizbollah, a day after a ceasefire between the group and Israel began.

"A short while ago, an activity was identified in a facility used by Hizbollah to store mid-range rockets in southern Lebanon. The threat was thwarted by an (Israeli Air Force) aircraft," the military said in a statement.

"The (Israeli army) remains in southern Lebanon and acting to enforce violations of the ceasefire agreement," it added.

The mayor of the town of Baysariyeh in southern Lebanon, Nazih Eid, told AFP "a warplane launched a raid about an hour ago on the eastern edge of the town of Baysariyeh. They targeted a forested area not accessible to civilians."

The army earlier on Thursday said it fired at several suspects "arriving with vehicles to a number of areas in southern Lebanon, breaching the conditions of the ceasefire."

The truce ended a conflict that began a day after Hamas's unprecedented Oct 7, 2023 attack on Israel, killing thousands in Lebanon and sparking mass displacements in both Lebanon and Israel.

The Israeli military has also announced a nighttime curfew in south Lebanon, warning residents it is "strictly forbidden to move or travel south of the Litani River" between 5pm (1500 GMT) on Thursday and 7am (0500 GMT) the following day.

Lebanon's health ministry said at least 3,961 people have been killed in the country since October 2023 as a result of the conflict, most of them in recent weeks, while 16,520 were wounded.

On the Israeli side, the hostilities with Hizbollah killed at least 82 soldiers and 47 civilians, authorities there say.

 -AFP