Hezbollah claims strikes that hurt Israeli soldiers

Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah group yesterday claimed responsibility for a strike that Israel said wounded four soldiers in the country's north, the latest cross-border fire in more than seven months of clashes.

Israel and Hamas ally Hezbollah have exchanged near-daily fire following the Israel's offensive in Gaza since October 7.

Hezbollah fighters fired "a guided missile" at an Israeli Merkava tank across the border yesterday morning, destroying it "after closely monitoring the enemy's movements," the group said in a statement.

The Israeli army said "two anti-tank missiles" crossed from Lebanon into the area of Yiftah, a kibbutz community less than two kilometres (1.2 miles) from the border.

The missiles wounded four Israeli soldiers, the army said, one of them moderately and the rest lightly. Earlier yesterday, Hezbollah said it launched "a swarm of explosive drones" targeting tents and "sleeping quarters" for an Israeli artillery battalion.