At least 11 Israelis, including three soldiers, were killed Thursday in clashes with Hizbullah and rocket attacks on northern Israeli towns. Fighting continued Thursday in south Lebanon where at least two Israeli soldiers were killed by Hizbullah fire. Later, another soldier died of his wounds. By 2 noon, Israeli forces had established positions overlooking 11 south Lebanese towns and villages up to six kilometers north of the Israeli border, Haaretz reported. The area that is the same "security zone" it held until the pullout from Lebanon in May 2000.
Hizbullah gunners fired scores of rockets at northern Israel on Thursday. In the afternoon, rockets killed five Israelis in the city of Acre and three others died in the town of Ma'alot.
In the town of Nabatiyeh, Israeli fighter jets struck an ambulance working for a local Muslim group, security officials said. They also hit the village of Zarariyeh, about 10 kilometers away, destroying roads and some deserted houses there.
Six missiles struck roads in the southern villages of Mlita and Ein Bouswar in the Iqlim al Tuffah province, a highland apple-growing region where Hizbullah is believed to have offices and bases, the officials said. Israeli warplanes returned to the province hours later for additional raids.
