Israeli army carries out snap drills simulating Lebanon border attack

By Anadolu staff

JERUSALEM (AA) - The Israeli army said Friday that it conducted "snap" drills simulating an attack on its northern border by the Lebanese group Hezbollah.

"The IDF's (Israeli army's) 282nd Artillery Regiment carried out a snap drill this week, simulating war with Hezbollah," The Times of Israel daily cited the military as saying in a statement.

The statement explained that the drill involved the "rapid deployment of howitzers," with the aim of simulating "various battle scenarios on the border with Lebanon."

"The 282nd Regiment has been deployed to the northern border for the past three months, launching thousands of shells at Hezbollah targets amid the ongoing fighting," it added.

Tensions have escalated along Lebanon’s border with Israel amid an exchange of cross-border attacks between Hezbollah and Israeli forces as Tel Aviv pressed ahead with its deadly offensive on the Gaza Strip, which has killed nearly 34,600 people since last October following an attack by the Palestinian group Hamas.

*Writing by Mohammad Sio in Istanbul