Four killed, five injured in confrontations on Lebanese-Israeli borders

People stand among the rubble of a house destroyed in an Israeli airstrike in Houla, Lebanon, on Feb 11, 2024. [Xinhua]

Two Hezbollah fighters and two members of Al-Quds Brigades, the military wing of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) movement, were killed on Monday, and five were wounded in confrontations on the Lebanese-Israeli borders, Lebanese security sources told Xinhua.

The sources, who spoke anonymously, said the casualties resulted from 18 Israeli airstrikes on 11 towns and villages and about 100 shells on 21 towns and villages in southern Lebanon.

Meanwhile, Hezbollah said its fighters launched several attacks on Israeli sites, including Birkat Risha, Zebdine, Ruwaisat al-Alam, Radar, Al-Samaqa, and Al-Manara and the Avivim settlement.

The Lebanon-Israel border has been witnessing increased tension since Oct. 8, 2023, after Lebanese armed group Hezbollah fired dozens of rockets toward Israel in support of the Hamas attack on Israel the previous day, prompting Israel to respond by firing heavy artillery toward southeastern Lebanon.

The confrontations between Hezbollah and Israel have killed 268 people on the Lebanese side, including 187 Hezbollah members and 44 civilians, according to Lebanese security sources.