Pentagon chief orders two aircraft carrier strike groups to remain in Middle East

YEREVAN, AUGUST 26, ARMENPRESS. US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has ordered the presence of two aircraft carrier strike groups in the Middle East, the Pentagon has said.

The announcement was made in a summary of a call between Austin and his Israeli counterpart.

Earlier, top US military official General C.Q. Brown arrived in Israel, hours after major cross-border clashes between Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah, Al Arabiya reported.

Brown, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is expected to hold meetings with senior Israeli military officials.

Hezbollah launched hundreds of rockets and drones at Israel early on Sunday, as Israel’s military said it struck Lebanon with around 100 jets to thwart a bigger attack, in one of the biggest clashes in more than 10 months of border warfare.

Three deaths were confirmed in Lebanon and one in Israel, where damage appeared to be limited.

The Lebanese group said it had fired 320 Katyusha rockets towards Israel and hit 11 military targets in what it called the first phase of its retaliation for Israel’s assassination of Fuad Shukr.