Israeli forces have penetrated deeper into southern Lebanon, and massive airstrikes and ground operations continued across the country, raising fears of a further escalation in the conflict with the Iranian-backed "Hezbollah" group, DPA reported, BTA reported.
The Lebanese National News Agency (NNA) reported dozens of attacks in areas in the south and east of the country. According to the Lebanese agency, initial reports put the death toll at at least 13.
A medical worker quoted by France Presse reported at least 12 killed in Israeli strikes on two villages in the southern city of Tyre.
In the southern port city of Sidon, a drone attack on a car in the city center killed two people, NNA reported.
Fighting also continued near the strategically important Beaufort Castle, which Israeli troops captured a week ago.
Lebanese media reported that Israeli combat helicopters opened machine gun fire on Hezbollah fighters near the hilltop fortress.
For their part, Hezbollah claimed responsibility for several attacks on Israeli positions in southern Lebanon.
According to Lebanese security officials, Israeli forces have advanced to the outskirts of Nabatieh, one of the main economic centers in southern Lebanon. They said the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) were just a few kilometers from the city center and were preparing to advance. Local officials in the border town of Kfar Shuba accused the IDF of kidnapping two municipal workers. The town's mayor, Qassem al-Qadri, told DPA that an Israeli patrol had detained municipal councilor Mohammad Hassan al-Hajj and municipal employee Ahmad Salah Diab while they were refueling a generator at a water pumping station on the outskirts of the city. An IDF spokesman responded by saying that the two men had approached the area of Israeli military operations, were detained and taken to Israel for questioning. The spokesman added that if no suspicion arose against either of them, they would be released.