Hezbollah thwarts Israeli army’s infiltration operations

Hezbollah thwarted two cross-border infiltration attempts by Israeli forces into southern Lebanon early Monday, Lebanese military sources and Hezbollah said.

The sources told Xinhua that an Israeli infantry force attempted to cross the borderline separating Lebanon and Israel in an infiltration operation into the southern Lebanese village of Ramyah.

Hezbollah said in a statement that the troops from Israel’s Golani Brigade prompted Hezbollah fighters to attack them using a large explosive device and several artillery shells, causing casualties.

Another statement by Hezbollah said its fighters fought back a hostile Israeli force that tried to infiltrate into Lebanese territory in the Qatamoun Valley area opposite the village of Rmeish, causing casualties on the Israeli side.

Lebanese security sources told Xinhua that the Israeli military launched a series of air strikes on the villages of Aita al-Shaab and Kafr Kila.

They also launched the air strike on Ramyah in the eastern and central sectors of the border region to cover for the ground infiltration.

The sources, who spoke anonymously, said that these raids were accompanied by heavy Israeli artillery shelling on towns and villages in the area, causing massive material damage to dozens of homes.

There have yet to be reports of injuries as Lebanese medics rushed to the scenes, the sources noted.

Meanwhile, Hezbollah said its fighters attacked on Monday several Israeli sites, including “the sites of Jal al-Alam, al-Motella, al-Malikiyah, al-Ghajar, and al-Samaqa.’’

The Lebanon-Israel border has been witnessing increased tension since Oct. 8, 2023, after Lebanese armed group Hezbollah fired dozens of rockets toward Israel.

This was in support of the Hamas attack on Israel the previous day, prompting Israel to respond by firing heavy artillery toward southeastern Lebanon.

The confrontations between Hezbollah and Israel have killed 332 people on the Lebanese side, including 226 Hezbollah members and 61 civilians, according to Lebanese security sources.

(Xinhua/NAN)