UPDATES WITH ISRAELI ARMY STATEMENTS, CHANGES HEADLINE, DECK; EDITS THROUGHOUT
By Naim Berjawi
BEIRUT (AA) – The Israeli army on Saturday claimed responsibility for a drone attack in the town of Hamra, southern Lebanon that Hezbollah said killed six of its members.
“This morning, the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) eliminated in a vehicle attack in southern Lebanon terrorists who belong to the Imam Hussein division and had previously fired rockets into the territory of the State of Israel,” the army said in a statement.
Fighter jets also attacked infrastructure of the organization in the area of Lavona, southern Lebanon, it added.
Hezbollah said its members were killed in the attack targeting a vehicle, according to the Lebanese National News Agency.
At least 229 Hezbollah fighters have been killed in clashes with Israeli forces since the beginning of the latest conflict in the Gaza Strip, according to figures released by the group.
Meanwhile, Hezbollah said it launched an attack against the Israeli military in northern Israel. The group said its fighters attacked “the leadership of the newly created sector in the Liman region with an assault drone and hit the target accurately.”
*Writing by Ikram Kouachi in Ankara