Soldiers and paramedics examine the scene of an Israeli attack on a vehicle at the entrance of Sidon, Lebanon, on November 7, 2024. — Reuters
Israel's military stated on Wednesday that it is engaging with the militant group Hezbollah in Lebanon, not the Lebanese army, after the latter reported that four of its soldiers were killed in Israeli strikes. "We emphasize that the (Israeli army) is targeting the Hezbollah terrorist organization and is not targeting the Lebanon Armed Forces," the military told AFP in a statement.
The Lebanese army reported that an Israeli attack killed a soldier on Wednesday, a day after it stated that three other personnel died in a strike on their position in the town of Sarafand, approximately 40km from the southern border. Southern Lebanon has experienced intense clashes between Israel and Hezbollah militants who dominate the region.
Israel's military claimed it struck "a terrorist infrastructure site where several Hezbollah terrorists were operating in the Sarafand area" on Tuesday night. "The (army) is investigating reports regarding soldiers of the Lebanon Armed Forces who were injured during the strike," it added, but did not address the other fatal incident mentioned by the Lebanese army.
Since September 23, Israel has intensified its bombing campaign in Lebanon, subsequently deploying ground troops, following nearly a year of cross-border exchanges initiated by Hezbollah in support of its Palestinian ally Hamas.
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