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TEL AVIV, March 9 (Reuters) – The Israeli military on Monday said that it was unaware of any clash with Hezbollah fighters in eastern Lebanon, after the Iran-backed Lebanese group said it had fought Israeli soldiers approaching from Syria.
Hezbollah said in a statement that its fighters had observed 15 helicopters flying over eastern Lebanon just after midnight, dropping Israeli troops who were observed approaching Lebanese territory from an area on the Syrian side of the border.
It said that its fighters “confronted the helicopters and the infiltrating forces with appropriate weapons”. The Israeli military, however, said that it was unaware of any such incident.
Reuters was unable to immediately verify Hezbollah’s account.
The Israeli military carried out an airborne raid in the same area, near the village of Nabi Chit, overnight Friday-Saturday in what it said was a mission to seek the remains of a soldier missing since 1986. Lebanon’s Health Ministry said 41 people were killed in the Israeli raid.
(Reporting by Alexander Cornwell in tel Aviv and Maya Gebeily in Beirut; Writing by Maayan Lubell; Editing by Kirsten Donovan)
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