Israel fires at Lebanese military vehicle on Lebanon's southern border

BEIRUT, March 9 (Xinhua) -- A Lebanese army vehicle was targeted by Israeli machine gun fire on Saturday in the village of Aita al-Shaab in southern Lebanon, but no casualties were reported, security sources said.

The incident occurred as a joint patrol of the Lebanese Army and the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) was conducting a routine patrol in the border area's central sector.

UNIFIL spokesperson Andrea Tenenti confirmed that the patrol, which included a Lebanese army vehicle, came under light machine gun fire from the direction of the Blue Line near Aita al-Shaab. No injuries were sustained in the attack.

Following the incident, UNIFIL and the Lebanese army have started an investigation to determine the specifics of the event.

Additionally, the sources reported that Israel conducted 11 airstrikes on several towns and villages in southern Lebanon and launched 40 artillery shells at various locations, destroying five houses and damaging 20 others.

Hezbollah has claimed responsibility for multiple attacks on Israeli positions, including those in Ramtha, Hunin, and Al-Baghdadi.

Tensions along the Lebanon-Israel border have escalated since the onset of the current Israel-Hamas conflict, with Israel and Hezbollah trading shellings and missile attacks almost on a daily basis.

According to security sources, the ongoing clashes between Hezbollah and Israel have resulted in 345 fatalities on the Lebanese side, including 231 Hezbollah fighters and 66 civilians.