Hezbollah member killed in clashes with Israeli forces

By Wassim Seifuldin

BEIRUT, Lebanon (AA) - A Hezbollah member was killed in clashes with Israeli forces in southern Lebanon, the Lebanese group said on Wednesday.

A statement by the group said its fighter was killed in the town of Meiss Ej Jabal, without providing any details about the incident that led to his death.

Tensions have flared along the Israeli-Lebanese border amid an exchange of fire between Israeli forces and the Hezbollah group.

At least 10 Hezbollah fighters had been killed since the outbreak of violence on the border between Lebanon and Israel.

The escalation came amid Israeli airstrikes against the Gaza Strip following a cross-border attack by the Palestinian group Hamas into Israeli border towns.

At least 3,478 Palestinians have so far been killed, while the figure stands at more than 1,400 people in Israel.

Hezbollah has fought several wars with Israel, the latest of which was in 2006, during which the Lebanese group struck major Israeli cities with rockets, causing significant material damage.

Over 1,000 Lebanese were killed in the conflict, while much of southern Lebanon – a Hezbollah stronghold – was devastated by Israeli attacks.