Eight Israeli soldiers have been killed in fighting with Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.

A further seven soldiers were wounded, some of them seriously, according to the army, citing two separate battles. The army had initially only reported one soldier killed.

The Hezbollah militia claimed to have destroyed three Israeli battle tanks that had advanced on the Lebanese town of Maroun al-Ras.

There was initially no confirmation of this from Israel.

The claims of both sides could not be independently verified.

Heavy smoke billows from an Israeli air raid on an area between the Lebanese southern border villages of Kfarkela and Aadaysit Marjaayoun, as heavy fighting between Israeli forces and pro-Iranian Hezbollah militants continues. The Israeli military began a ground invasion of southern Lebanon, targeting what it said was Hezbollah military infrastructure in villages close to the Israel-Lebanon border. Stringer/dpaHeavy smoke billows from an Israeli air raid on an area between the Lebanese southern border villages of Kfarkela and Aadaysit Marjaayoun, as heavy fighting between Israeli forces and pro-Iranian Hezbollah militants continues. The Israeli military began a ground invasion of southern Lebanon, targeting what it said was Hezbollah military infrastructure in villages close to the Israel-Lebanon border. Stringer/dpa



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