Hezbollah fighters clash with Israeli troops in south Lebanon: Report
The Lebanese National News Agency (NNA) is reporting that Hezbollah fighters clashed with Israeli troops trying to advance on the town of al-Bayyadah, near the city of Naqoura, in the South Lebanon governorate.
Hezbollah fighters fired rockets and missiles at the invading troops and destroyed a Merkava tank, it said.
The agency also reported “violent clashes” in the Nabatieh governorate, where it said Israeli troops are trying to advance on the village of Kfar Shouba.
Two killed in Israeli attack on south Lebanon
Israeli forces bombed a house in the town of Maarakeh in South Lebanon, killing at least two people, the National News Agency reports.
Three bodies recovered from rubble in southern Lebanon’s Nabatieh area
The rubble removal work has been completed in the village of Zefta in the Nabatieh governorate of Lebanon, where a house was destroyed in an Israeli air attack yesterday evening. Three bodies were recovered, according to the National News Agency.
Israeli attack kills another Lebanese soldier
A Lebanese soldier has been killed after an Israeli attack on an army vehicle in southern Lebanon, according to the Lebanese army. The soldier was first injured by this morning’s attack, which occurred on a road between the villages of Burj al-Muluk and Qlayaa, the army said, but later died of his wounds.
The soldier’s death follows an earlier Israeli attack in the southern town of Sarafand that killed three Lebanese soldiers.
Lebanese army suffering casualties despite not being directly involved in conflict with Israel
While there are efforts to bring about a ceasefire and the Lebanese army is expected to play a central role in implementing any ceasefire deal, there were two Israeli attacks. Last night, an Israeli strike hit an army position in the town of Sarafand in southern Lebanon, killing three soldiers. The army says this was a deliberate attack.
A short while ago, the army announced the death of one more soldier. The military vehicles came under Israeli fire on the Marjayoun road, very close to the border.
It is not the first time the Lebanese army has been hit in the ongoing war between Israel and Hezbollah. It has lost more than 40 men in recent months despite the army not being directly involved in the conflict.
It is staying on the sidelines for a number of reasons, even though it calls Israel the enemy. First of all, the Lebanese army is weak. It has not responded to any of these Israeli attacks on its troops. Hezbollah is a much stronger force.
Secondly, there are many political considerations, because Hezbollah’s decision to open up a front against Israel in support of Gaza is a divisive decision here and the army is split along political and sectarian lines.
Aftermath of an Israeli strike that hit an Lebanese army post in the town of Sarafand, southern Lebanon
Israeli army says not fighting Lebanese army, despite killing soldiers
“We emphasise that the [Israeli army] is operating precisely against the Hezbollah terrorist organisation and is not operating against the Lebanon Armed Forces,” the military told the AFP news agency in a statement.
Nevertheless, in the last 24 hours, the Israeli army has killed four Lebanese army soldiers in total in two separate strikes. This brings the total number of Lebanese soldiers killed by Israel since hostilities broke out between it and Hezbollah in October of last year to 42.
