Muslim guerrillas infiltrated Israeli-held land in southern Lebanon Thursday and wounded two Israeli soldiers with a roadside bomb, security sources said. Three guerrillas were killed in an ensuing clash.
The guerrillas planted the bomb on the main road to the border town of Naquora and detonated it by remote control before attacking an Israeli army patrol with automatic rifles, the sources said on condition of anonymity.The Israelis fired back, killing three guerrillas, the sources said.
Responsibility for the attack was claimed by the Iranian-backed Hezbollah, which opposes peace with Israel and has been fighting to evict the Israelis from southern Lebanon. The claim mentioned no guerrilla casualties.
The afternoon hostilities followed Hezbollah attacks on Israeli troops and allied militiamen with mortars and armor-piercing rockets. Israel hit back with artillery and tank fire.