Hezbollah says it struck Israeli military vehicle, tank near Lebanese border

By Stephanie Radi

BEIRUT, Lebanon (AA) - Hezbollah said Tuesday it struck an Israeli military vehicle in Metula town in northern Israel.

The Lebanese group said its fighters also targeted an Israeli tank at the Ramim barracks that caused direct casualties.

It said separately that two of its operatives were killed “while fulfilling their duty,” without providing details.

The Lebanese Red Cross said crews had transferred the bodies of four people killed in an Israeli bombardment in the town of Aalma ech-Chaab in southern Lebanon.

Earlier Tuesday, the Israeli army said it had killed four infiltrators who tried to cross into Israel from Lebanon.

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

The escalation came amid a massive Israeli air campaign in the Gaza Strip following a cross-border attack by the Palestinian group Hamas into Israeli border towns.

Hezbollah has fought several wars with Israel, the last in 2006, when the Lebanese group struck major Israeli cities with rockets, causing significant material damage.

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