Israel-Hezbollah Fighting Intensifies

Hezbollah militants and Israeli forces exchanged barrages of shells and rockets across the Lebanese border Friday and Israeli warplanes destroyed guerrilla positions in the heaviest clash between the two sides in months.

There were no reports of casualties in the fighting, which abated less than two hours after it began.

In the clash, Hezbollah fighters fired a volley of shells and rockets at Israeli positions in the disputed border area of Shabaa Farms. Israeli forces fired artillery at the apparent source of the attack in the village of Kfar Chouba. Both sides claimed that the other began firing first.

Witnesses counted at least 45 Israeli shells, and Israel said the barrage hit a Hezbollah position.

Warplanes and helicopter gunships then struck three guerrilla posts, the Israeli military said. An Israeli tank also fired at a Hezbollah observation point near the village of Rmeish,witnesses said.

It was the most serious clash between Israel and Hezbollah since January, when guerrillas blew up an Israeli bulldozer in Shabaa Farms and Israel retaliated with airstrikes that wounded two Lebanese women.

Friday’s exchange occurred after days of sporadic shelling by both sides, which began when Israel mistakenly fired an artillery shell into Lebanon this week while clearing explosives the guerrillas had planted near the border.