The Israeli army said eight soldiers were killed and 22 others wounded in
clashes against Hezbollah guerillas in south Lebanon on Wednesday.
The fierce confrontation occurred near the southern Lebanese border town of
Bint Jbeil, a stronghold of Hezbollah, said the army.
"The battle is still going on," an Israeli army spokeswoman told Xinhua,
adding that among those injured, three sustained serious injuries, four were
moderately hurt and the other 15 sustained light wounds.
She continued that the Israeli army had successfully retrieved its wounded
and dead under fierce fire exchanges.
Since early Wednesday, Israeli troops were engaged in close-quarter fighting
with Hezbollah guerillas, she added.
Meanwhile, local newspaper Ha'aretz reported that five Israeli soldiers were
wounded on Wednesday as the Lebanese Shiite grou pHezbollah fired an anti-tank
missile at Israeli troops in the southern Lebanese village of Maroun al-Ras, but
the spokeswoman did not confirm the report.
On Tuesday, the Israeli army said that it had taken complete control of Bint
Jbeil, about 4 km into south Lebanon from the border with Israel.
Bint Jbeil, a major town in southern Lebanon, is about 2 km north of the
hilltop village of Maroun al-Ras which was taken control by the Israeli army
over the weekend.
Israel pressed ahead an over-two-week-old massive assault against Lebanon's
Hezbollah guerillas on Wednesday.
Over 400 Lebanese and 50 Israelis have been killed in the violence.
The conflict erupted when Hezbollah guerillas captured two Israeli soldiers
and killed eight others during a July 12 cross-border attack.
