Hizbullah fighters have killed at least eight Israeli soldiers in Lebanon today and wounded 22 in the southern Lebanese town of Bint Jbail in the some of the fiercest fighting to date in the Middle East conflict.
Lebanese security sources said guerrillas ambushed an Israeli force advancing on the town of Bint Jbeil, four km from the frontier and most of its vehicles were destroyed.
"Our men can hear the screams of their wounded calling for help," one source said.
The reflection of Israeli residents walking at the scene of a rocket attack is seen in a shattered mirror in the northern Israeli town of Kiryat Bialik today. Photograph: Reuters
The Israeli army admitted eight of its soldiers were killed at Bint Jbeil and 22 wounded. Arabic media had reported that as many as 13 Israeli soldiers died in the clash.
Hizbullah also said it attacked a concentration of Israeli forces in the outskirts of Maroun al-Ras, wounding several Israeli soldiers.
Israeli has killed at least 420 people in Lebanon, mostly civilians as part of its war against Hizbullah. At least 50 Israelis have also died.
In the Gaza Strip, scene of another Israeli offensive, Israeli forces killed 21 Palestinians, including nine militants, three children and a handicapped man, during fighting.
Israel has killed 140 Palestinians in a month-long campaign to recover a captured soldier and stop rocket fire from Gaza.
Clearing Bint Jbeil could also be part of Israel's plan to establish a no-go zone for the guerrillas in southern Lebanon until an international force arrives to take over.
Israeli Defence Minister Amir Peretz said yesterday Israel would control a "security strip" along the 80km frontier and fire at anyone who entered. He did not say how wide it would be. Israeli government sources estimated the zone's width at 3-4 km.
According to Israeli intelligence estimates, Hizbullah fighters are holed up in a network of tunnels and trenches around Shia Muslim villages in southern Lebanon. Israel ordered civilians out of 14 of the villages over the weekend.