Lebanese President and PM mourn State Security personnel killed in Israeli strike on Nabatieh

Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun offered condolences to the head of the State Security Directorate, Major General Edgar Lawandos, following the killing of 12 State Security personnel in an Israeli strike targeting the government complex in Nabatieh.

In a phone call, Aoun said the fallen had joined fellow martyrs from the Lebanese Army and other security institutions, as well as hundreds of Lebanese civilians who have been killed in the ongoing war.

Condemning the continued attacks, the president stressed that targeting state institutions and security agencies would not deter Lebanon from asserting its right to defend its territory and sovereignty. He also renewed calls on the international community to take responsibility and act to halt repeated Israeli strikes.

Aoun extended his condolences to the families of the victims, praising their sacrifices in protecting the country and maintaining its stability, and affirming that their blood "will not be in vain."

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam also expressed his condolences in a post on X, mourning both civilian victims and State Security personnel killed in the strike that hit the Nabatieh government building, its surroundings, and the local market.

Salam said the tragedy reinforces efforts to secure a ceasefire that would protect Lebanon and its southern population.