UPDATE - 5 more Hezbollah fighters killed in clashes with Israel forces in southern Lebanon

UPDATES WITH MORE FATALATIES, DEATH TOLL

By Ikrame Imane Kouachi

ISTANBUL (AA) — Five more Hezbollah fighters have been killed in clashes with Israeli forces in southern Lebanon, the group said on Friday.

The Lebanese group identified its slain fighters as Yusuf Mohammad Al-Sayyed from the town of Beit Leif, Muhammad Ali Hassan al-Zein from the town of Qabrikha, Hussein Ali Mohsen Ghandour from the town of Nabatieh, Ali Sobhi Mansour from the town of Taybeh, and Hussein Hassan Faqih from the town of Rab El Thalathine.

The group did not go into detail about the circumstances surrounding their deaths.

This brought the total number of Hezbollah casualties to 483 since the conflict with Israel erupted on Oct. 8, 2023.

Hezbollah also issued a separate statement accepting responsibility for targeting an Israeli military position in Metula in the Upper Galilee with a guided anti-tank missile, claiming it "hit the target directly." No further details were provided.

There has been no Israeli comment on the attack, which came amid an escalation in cross-border warfare between Israel and Hezbollah since the start of Israel’s deadly war on the Gaza Strip, which has killed nearly 41,300 people, mostly women and children, following a cross-border attack by the Palestinian group Hamas on Oct. 7 last year.

*Writing by Ikram Kouachi