Twenty-five Lebanese guerrillas and others accused of aiding them, were released by Israeli-allied South Lebanon Army (SLA) on January 13 from prisons in Israeli-occupied south Lebanon.

The prisoners were freed as a goodwill gesture marking the new year and Id Al-Fitr, the holidays marking the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, the SLA said in a statement.

Another five guerrillas of the Hezbollah had been released by the SLA last December.

Meanwhile, Israeli warplanes struck suspected guerrilla targets in mountainous regions in south Lebanon on Thursday, for the third consecutive day, Lebanese security officials said.

Israel set up a self-styled security zone in south Lebanon in 1985 with the claim to protect its north from cross-border guerrilla attacks. The zone covers about one 10th of the Lebanese territory.

Lebanese guerrilla groups, spearheaded by the Iranian and Syrian-backed Hezbollah, or Party of God, have been fighting to drive Israeli occupation troops and their allied SLA out of the area.