Israel launched a wave of airstrikes against Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon, just as the militant group’s leader said two days of exploding pagers and walkie-talkies amounted to a declaration of war.

With the danger of a wider Middle East war looming, Israel on Friday bombarded part of the Lebanese capital, killing at least 12 people and wounding 66 others, Lebanese authorities said. The strike came just days after thousands of sabotaged electronic devices exploded across the country,

Israel carried out one of its most intense bombardments against the Hezbollah militant group Thursday night, launching dozens of airstrikes over Lebanon. The aerial barrage comes just after Hezbollah's leader vowed revenge for a series of deadly device explosions that targeted the group's members this week.