Israel and Hezbollah trade cross-border fire for first time in years

Tensions between Israel and Iran threaten to drag Lebanon into renewed conflict

Oliver Holmes in Jerusalem
Sun 1 Sep 2019 17.07 BST First published on Sun 1 Sep 2019 14.51 BST

Hezbollah has launched an attack on Israeli military positions and drawn heavy return fire in the first cross-border clash for years between the long-standing foes.

Israel’s military said “two or three anti-tank missiles” were fired from southern Lebanon toward an army base and a military ambulance but caused were no deaths or injuries..

Lt Col Jonathan Conricus also said Israel had fired back with approximately 100 artillery shells and that attack helicopters had also struck the area. The exchange “was most likely over,” he said.

Hezbollah, the pro-Iran Lebanese militant group, claimed the attack. It said its fighters had destroyed an Israeli army vehicle near the frontier in the same area. It said it had killed and wounded people inside, contradicting Israeli claims.

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