Relatives and friends mourn by the grave of Israeli soldier Eitan Itzhak Oster killed in fighting in the northern border area with Lebanon, during his funeral at the Mount Herzl Military Cemetery in Jerusalem. (Image: AFP)
Hezbollah fighters clash with advancing Israeli troops which resulted in the deadliest encounter for Israel in the year-long conflict.
The Israeli army said on Wednesday eight of its soldiers were killed in combat in south Lebanon as its forces pushed into its northern neighbour in a campaign against the Hezbollah armed group.
The losses were the deadliest suffered by the Israeli military on the Lebanon front in the past year of clashes between Israel and its Iran-backed Lebanese adversary.
Hezbollah said its fighters were engaging Israeli forces inside Lebanon on Wednesday, reporting ground clashes for the first time since Israel began its ground advance.
The Israeli military said regular infantry and armoured units were joining its ground operations in Lebanon, a day after Israel was attacked by Iran in a missile strike that raised concerns that the oil-producing Middle East could be caught up in a wider conflict.
Iran said on Wednesday its missile volley – its biggest ever assault on Israel – was over barring further provocation, but Israel and the United States promised to hit back hard.
(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed – Reuters)
English