JERUSALEM, March 31 (Xinhua) -- The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement on Tuesday that four of its soldiers were killed during operations in southern Lebanon.
Their death brings the number of Israeli soldiers killed in southern Lebanon to 10 since the resumption of full-scale hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah.
The IDF added that during the incident, which occurred on Monday evening, three other Israeli soldiers were wounded -- one seriously and two moderately.
Israel's state-owned Kan TV News reported that an elite IDF reconnaissance unit had spotted Hezbollah militant squads, triggering a brief exchange of fire that resulted in Israeli casualties.
While evacuating the wounded to a designated runway, Israeli forces came under fire from an anti-tank missile, though no additional casualties were reported. The forces responded with tank shelling and airstrikes targeting the militants. ■
