Powerful Israeli air strike kills 11 in central Beirut

Attack using bunker-busting missiles is 4th strike this week targeting city's central area

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BEIRUT - A powerful air strike killed 11 people in central Beirut on Nov. 23, the Lebanese Health Ministry said, shaking the country's capital as Israel pressed its offensive against the Iran-backed Hezbollah group.

An eight-story building was struck by four missiles, including bunker-penetrating types designed to hit underground targets, said a Lebanese security source.

Israel has used bunker-busting arms to kill senior Hezbollah figures, including the group's veteran leader Hassan Nasrallah in a strike on southern Beirut in September.

Hezbollah Member of Parliament Amin Chirri, who was at the site of the Israeli strike in central Beirut, said there had been no Hezbollah leader in the building that was hit.

The blasts shook the capital around 4 a.m. and left a deep crater. Beirut smelled strongly of explosives for hours afterwards.

Rescuers searched through the rubble in an area of the city known for its antique shops.