Israel claims it kills 'a number of armed suspects' who infiltrated from Lebanon

OCCUPIED JERUSALEM — Israeli soldiers "killed a number of armed suspects" who crossed the border from Lebanon, the country's military said on Monday as further south it fought a devastating war with Gaza militants.

A local Lebanese official, Abdullah Al Gharib, told AFP Israel was shelling the southern border area.

"Fields on the outskirts of the village [of Dhayra] were subjected to intense Israeli artillery shelling, preceded by intermittent gunfire," said Gharib, the village mayor.

Lebanon's state-run National News Agency said "Israeli occupation forces bombed the Dhayra border area... with artillery".

Heavy gunfire was heard in the village, with explosions also heard "in various southern regions", it added.

Lebanon's Iran-backed Hizbollah movement denied any involvement.

"There is no truth to information circulating about clashes between resistance elements and the Israeli enemy or any infiltration," a spokesperson for the group said in a statement.

The incident comes a day after Hizbollah said it fired artillery shells and guided missiles at Israel, "in solidarity" with attacks launched from Gaza by its ally Hamas.

Israel's army said it hit back on Sunday with artillery into southern Lebanon.

In 2006 Hizbollah and Israel fought a 34-day war that left more than 1,200 dead in Lebanon, mostly civilians, and 160 in Israel, mostly soldiers. The two countries remain technically at war.

Israel has warned Hizbollah against involvement in the war with Gaza.