Lebanon’s Hezbollah claims attack on Israeli troops who had crossed border

Israel’s army said Monday four of its troops were wounded inside Lebanese territory after Hezbollah said it had targeted a group of Israeli soldiers with “explosive devices” when they crossed the border.

It is the first time Hezbollah has claimed such an attack during six months of near-daily cross-border clashes between the Iran-backed group and Israeli forces since the Gaza war broke out.

“We confirm that the incident occurred inside Lebanon,” an Israeli army spokesperson said.

Earlier on Monday, the army said the four were wounded in an overnight explosion “in the area of the northern border”.

One of them was seriously injured, it said.

Hezbollah said earlier it had detonated “explosive devices” targeting the soldiers who crossed into Lebanese territory.

The group’s fighters “planted explosive devices in the Tal Ismail area” inside Lebanon and detonated them after Israeli soldiers crossed the border, Hezbollah said.

The incident occurred with regional tensions soaring after Iran’s missile and drone attacks on Israel last week in retaliation for a deadly strike on Tehran’s consulate in Damascus that has widely been blamed on Israel.

The violence flaring between Israel and Hezbollah has largely been contained to the border area.

It has killed at least 364 people in Lebanon, mostly Hezbollah fighters but also including at least 70 civilians, according to an AFP tally.

In Israel, the military says 10 soldiers and eight civilians have been killed since hostilities began.

Tens of thousands of civilians have fled their homes on both sides of the border.