Israel increased its air raids on Lebanon on Saturday, which destroyed a
bridge in the eastern Bekaa Valley in the early morning.
The Israeli fresh airstrikes came after Lebanese Hezbollah guerrillas
launched a new type of rocket that made its deepest strike into Israel, which
unnerved Israelis as most of the people there are already living in shelters
because of rocket bombardments.
Lebanon's state news agency ANI reported that Israeli air forces on Saturday
also renewed its raids on Beirut's southern suburbs, a stronghold of the
Lebanese Shiite militant group Hezbollah, and a missile fired by them destroyed
a four-wheel-drive vehicle.
The driver of the vehicle escaped "miraculously" unharmed when he jumped out
of the vehicle which was hit by an air-to-ground missile, said ANI.
On the other hand, Israeli forces have pulled back from positions on the
outskirts of a Hezbollah stronghold town in southern Lebanon that has been the
scene of deadly battles, Lebanese police said Saturday.
Tanks and armored vehicles left the hills overlooking the main border town of
Bint Jbeil late Friday and returned to Marun Al-Ras, said the police, adding
Israeli troops in Marun Al-Ras continued to bombard Bint Jbeil and nearby
Aitarun.
Lebanese officials have said that about 12 civilians died in the fighting on
Friday.
Israel said it killed 26 Hezbollah fighters, raising to about 230 the total
number killed in the conflict.
The Israel-Lebanon conflict erupted on July 12 following the capture of two
Israeli soldiers by Hezbollah guerillas during cross-border attacks.
Some 600 Lebanese have been killed in Israeli attacks, according to Lebanese
official count.
Meanwhile, some 50 Israelis, including 18 civilians, have also been killed in
the conflict, said media reports.