Israel has carried out an attack in the Lebanese capital, Beirut, that targeted a senior Hezbollah commander, the Israeli military said.

Several outlets have identified the target as Hezbollah commander Muhsin Shukr.

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A loud blast was heard and a plume of smoke could be seen rising above the southern suburbs – a stronghold of Lebanese armed group Hezbollah – just on Tuesday evening.

Lebanon’s state-run national news agency said an Israeli air strike had targeted the area around Hezbollah’s Shura Council in the Haret Hreik neighbourhood of the capital and at least one person has been killed.

Reporting from the Haret Hreik neighbourhood, Al Jazeera’s Zeina Khodr said that Hezbollah sources have said Shukr has survived this asssination attempt.

Earlier, the Israeli military said it conducted “a targeted strike in Beirut on the commander responsible for the murder of the children in Majdal Shams and the killing of numerous additional Israeli civilians”.

At least 12 people including children were killed in a rocket strike on Majdal Shams in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights last week, but Hezbollah has denied responsibility for the attack.

Israel and the United States have blamed the Lebanese armed group.

Khodr said that Tuesday’s strike appears to be the promised response by the Israeli military against Hezbollah.

“Lebanon was bracing for this response, but earlier today, a high-ranking Hezbollah official said that no matter what kind of strike Israel carries out, Hezbollah will respond,” Khodr said.

Meanwhile, White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre has said that US does not believe war between Hezbollah and Israel is inevitable.

Tuesday’s attack has been the first in the vicinity of Beirut since January, when an air strike killed top Hamas official Saleh Arouri. That strike is also the first time Israel has hit Beirut since the 34-day war between Israel and Hezbollah in the summer of 2006.