Five Israeli soldiers killed in clashes in south Lebanon

The Israeli army said on Thursday that five of its soldiers were killed fighting in southern Lebanon, where the military has been battling Hezbollah forces for weeks.

The Israeli army provided the names of four soldiers in a statement, saying the troops “fell during combat in southern Lebanon” on Wednesday.

A separate statement issued later said another soldier was killed in southern Lebanon on Thursday.

The death toll among Israeli troops fighting in southern Lebanon has risen to 27 since the military launched a ground operation in late September, according to an AFP tally based on official military figures.

The violence in Lebanon escalated to a war last month, nearly a year after the start of cross-border clashes between Hezbollah and Israeli forces.

Hezbollah began launching rockets at Israel from October 8, 2023, in support of Hamas after the Palestinian militant group launched its unprecedented attack on Israel the previous day.