Hezbollah reports 1st direct clash with Israeli forces in southern Lebanon
Israeli howitzers are positioned near Israel's border with Lebanon, in northern Israel, October 10, 2023. (Reuters/Ammar Awad)
Hezbollah announced today that it engaged in a direct confrontation with Israeli infantry forces in southern Lebanon for the first time.
The incident occurred in the village of Odaisseh in south Lebanon.
Clashes occured early this morning
In a statement released via Telegram, Hezbollah reported that its forces encountered Israeli soldiers attempting to infiltrate Odaisseh early this morning. The group stated that after a brief clash, they inflicted casualties on the Israeli forces and forced them to retreat.
“Hezbollah fighters confronted an Israeli infantry unit attempting to infiltrate the village of Odaisseh and engaged in combat, causing them losses and forcing a retreat,” the statement said.
This marks the first time Hezbollah has claimed a direct ground engagement with Israeli forces since Tel Aviv announced a military operation in southern Lebanon Tuesday morning.
Conflicting reports over ground operations
While Israeli forces had announced the start of their military operation in southern Lebanon, no ground offensive had been observed throughout the day.
Hezbollah previously denied reports of direct clashes between its fighters and Israeli forces, stating that no ground confrontation had taken place.
