JERUSALEM, Oct. 8 (JTA) – At least two Israeli soldiers
were killed Wednesday by roadside bombs in the southern Lebanon
security zone.
Hezbollah claimed responsibility for detonating the bombs, which have claimed a steadily rising toll of Israeli soldiers. Israel and its ally in the region, the South Lebanon Army, responded to the bombings by targeting Hezbollah positions with artillery fire. The deaths bring the total number of Israelis killed in Lebanon since the beginning of the year to at least 41. Last month 12 Israeli naval commandos were killed in a raid on Lebanon, in what was the Israel Defense Force’s heaviest casualty count in more than 12 years in a single military operation. The recent rise in the number of fatalities has renewed debate in Israel over the army’s presence in the security zone.
