Hezbollah claims targeting Israeli soldiers with rockets in northern Israel

By Naim Berjawi

BIERUT (AA) - Lebanese group Hezbollah on Friday said its fighters carried out a rocket attack targeting Israeli soldiers near the Jal al-Deir military site in northern Israel.

In a statement, the group said that it aimed Falaq rockets at Israeli troops stationed in the area, but did not provide more details.

Earlier, Hezbollah reported that it had also attacked Israeli soldiers near the Mitat outpost with missiles.

Meanwhile, Israel reported that five rockets were fired from Lebanon toward the town of Shlomi in the northern part of the country, the local Channel 12 said.

The Israeli air defense system intercepted some of the projectiles, while others landed in open areas, causing no injuries, it added.

Fears have grown about a full-blown war between Israel and Hezbollah amid a months-long exchange of cross-border fire, especially with Hezbollah threatening military retaliation after the assassination of its top commander Fouad Shukr in an Israeli airstrike on a Beirut suburb on July 30.

The escalation comes against the backdrop of an Israeli onslaught on the Gaza Strip which has killed over 40,000 people since last October following a cross-border attack by the Palestinian resistance group Hamas.

*Writing by Mohammad Sio