Beirut, Oct 24 (IANS) The Lebanese Army Command said on Thursday that three soldiers, including an officer, were killed in an Israeli attack in Yater, a municipality in the Bint Jbeil district in southern Lebanon.

Israel targeted the Lebanese army "while they were carrying out an evacuation operation for the wounded," the army said in a statement.

This brings the death toll of Lebanese soldiers to 14 since the outbreak of border clashes between Hezbollah and the Israeli military on October 8, 2023, Xinhua news agency reported.

Since early Thursday, Hezbollah has engaged in clashes with Israeli forces trying to infiltrate southern Lebanese towns and villages along the border area, according to Lebanese security sources.

The sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Xinhua that the Israeli army managed to infiltrate towns along the borderline extending from Naqoura in the west to the Shebaa and Kfarchouba in southeastern Lebanon.

"The Israeli army is blowing up hundreds of houses, especially those facing its military positions, while Israeli bulldozers are paving military roads within the villages and changing some of their features," the sources said.

On Wednesday, Hezbollah said in a statement that it had killed more than 70 Israeli soldiers, and wounded more than 600 others since the Israeli army launched a ground operation in southern Lebanon early October, in addition to the destruction of 28 Merkava tanks, four military bulldozers, an armoured vehicle, among others.

The Israeli army has not commented on the claim so far.

Since September 23, the Israeli army has been conducting intensive airstrikes on Lebanon in a dangerous escalation with Hezbollah.

--IANS

int/khz