Nabatieh Shia Community Marks Muharram Amid Israeli Strikes and Ruins

Nabatieh Shia Community Marks Muharram Amid Israeli Strikes and Ruins
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Lebanon’s Shia community in Nabatieh marked the opening days of Muharram amid renewed Israeli strikes, shattered buildings and the grief of recent losses.

Lebanon’s civil defense agency said ongoing Israeli attacks on the Nabatieh district killed 16 people and wounded 12 others, as rescue teams worked from the early morning hours to respond to strikes across the area. Lebanon’s National News Agency reported air raids and artillery shelling on several towns in the south, including Nabatieh, Arab Salim, Deir Zahrani, Barish and Kafr Rumman.

The violence came as mourners gathered for Ashura commemorations, which recall the martyrdom of Imam Hussein, peace be upon him, in Karbala and hold deep religious meaning for Shia Muslims.

In Nabatieh, where Ashura processions once drew tens of thousands, only a smaller crowd gathered among destroyed streets and empty neighborhoods. Civil defense volunteers cleared rubble, prepared mourning spaces and continued recovery work while the sound of shelling echoed nearby.

Residents said this year’s Muharram carried special pain, as the memory of Karbala was linked to displacement, destruction and the deaths suffered during the recent war.