Hizbollah says 'clashes' with Israel troops in south Lebanon

By AFP - Oct 09,2024 - Last updated at Oct 09,2024

BEIRUT, LEBANON — Hizbollah said it was fighting Israeli troops in a border area in southern Lebanon on Wednesday, as Israel intensifies its ground offensive against the Iran-backed armed group.

The Lebanese militant group fired rockets and artillery shells "as Israeli troops tried to advance in the Mays al-Jabal area from several directions", it said.

Clashes are ongoing

Hizbollah said earlier on Wednesday its fighters had repelled two Israeli army attempts to infiltrate Lebanese territory near other frontier villages.

Having weakened Hamas, whose unprecedented October 2023 attack on Israel triggered war in Gaza, the Israeli military is now focused on Hizbollah , the Lebanese ally of the Palestinian Islamist group.

After midnight, Hizbollah said its fighters detonated an explosive device targeting Israeli forces and engaged in combat with them as they "attempted to infiltrate the border town of Blida" in the southeast.

In another statement, it said its fighters targeted Israeli soldiers with artillery "and rocket-propelled weapons" as they attempted to advance towards the border area of Labbouneh at 4:55am.

The militant group says it has thwarted a number of such infiltration attempts since the Israeli military launched limited ground incursions into Lebanon on September 30.

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