The fighting raged on in Lebanon with a wave of deadly of Israeli strikes overnight killing 18 people in Nabatieh district in the south while four Israeli troops were killed in a Hezbollah ambush in the same area. File photo by Atef Safadi/EPA
June 19 (UPI) -- At least 18 people were killed and 33 injured overnight in a wave of Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon, the country's health ministry said. The Israeli military said four of its troops were killed and five injured.
The bulk of Israeli fire was concentrated on Nabatieh district, 15 southeast of Sidon, with Lebanese state media describing the bombardment as some of the heaviest since cross border fighting flared on March 2, shortly after the United States and Israel launched their airborne offensive against Iran.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun criticized what he called Israel's "dangerous and reprehensible escalation," warning it threatened to sabotage current efforts to get a cease-fire in place and end the war.
The Israeli military said it killed dozens of members of Iran-proxy Hezbollah in attacks on 80 targets connected to the armed group while Hezbollah said fighters laying in wait south of Nabatieh hit three IDF tanks with guided missiles and used rockets and artillery to target Israeli soldiers.
