Two soldiers, peacekeeper killed in Israel-Hezbollah clashes

MAJIDIYA: Two Israeli soldiers and a Spanish UN peacekeeper were killed on Wednesday as Lebanon´s Hezbollah and Israel exchanged fire in their most serious clashes in years.

The violence raised fears of another full-blown conflict erupting between the bitter enemies, who fought a month-long war in 2006.

The two soldiers were killed when Hezbollah fired an anti-tank missile at a military convoy in an Israel-occupied border area, the army said.

Seven other soldiers were wounded but local media said none had suffered life-threatening injuries.

Israel responded with "combined aerial and ground strikes" on southern Lebanon after the attack -- an apparent retaliation for a recent Israeli strike on the Golan Heights that killed senior Hezbollah members.

Lebanese security sources told AFP that Israeli forces had hit several villages along the border.

Clouds of smoke could be seen rising from Majidiya village, one of the hardest hit. There was no immediate information on casualties.

A 36-year-old Spanish corporal from the UN peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon was killed in the exchange of fire, officials said.

The 10,000-strong UNIFIL mission said it had observed six rockets fired towards Israel from southern Lebanon and that Israeli forces "returned artillery fire in the same general area".

It said the precise cause of the peacekeeper´s death was "as yet undetermined" and urged all sides to show "maximum restraint to prevent an escalation".

Hezbollah said it had targeted an Israeli military convoy "transporting several Zionist soldiers and officers."