3 killed, 5 injured in clashes on Lebanese-Israeli border

Beirut, Jan 29 (IANS) Three Hezbollah members were killed, and five civilians were injured in Israeli raids on the Lebanese-Israeli border on Sunday, Lebanese sources told the media.

Official medical sources told Xinhua news agency that ambulances have transferred the dead and injured to three governmental hospitals in southern Lebanon.

Lebanese military sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Xinhua that Israeli drones and warplanes have carried out 14 airstrikes on southern Lebanon, adding that 150 Israeli shells were also fired at 25 towns and villages in the area, destroying 11 houses and damaging 27 others, Xinhua news agency reported.

Meanwhile, the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah said its fighters have attacked Israeli gatherings in Tal Shaar, the Ramim barracks, the vicinity of the Ya'ra barracks, the Motella settlement, and the Hanita site, confirming inflicting casualties among Israeli soldiers.

The Lebanese-Israeli border has been witnessing increased tension since October 8, 2023, after Hezbollah fired dozens of rockets toward Israel in support of the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, prompting Israel to respond by firing heavy artillery toward southeastern Lebanon.

The confrontations between Hezbollah and Israel have killed 237 people on the Lebanese side, including 171 Hezbollah members and 39 civilians, according to Lebanese security sources.