Two Israeli soldiers killed in fierce Hizbollah clash

JERUSALEM, July 19 (Reuters) Hizbollah killed two Israeli soldiers and wounded nine in a fierce clash inside Lebanon today that showed the militia was still moving freely near Israel's border despite a week of heavy artillery barrages.

Israel's army said one Hizbollah fighter was killed in the firefight, one of the heaviest since the crisis erupted.

The army said limited ground operations to destroy Hizbollah weapons bunkers, hideouts and sites used to launch rockets from inside the hilly frontier would continue despite the casualties.

''Hizbollah attacked soldiers operating in the area and troops opened fire and killed one of the militants,'' the army said. ''The (Hizbollah) cell escaped to a nearby village.'' An army spokesman said the military obtained intelligence that the cell was planning an attack, possibly a land raid into northern Israel. Troops crossed the border to investigate and came under fire around midday, he said.

Troops had moved in north of the Israeli village of Avivim, the spokesman said. Asked how far they went inside Lebanon, he said it was not a matter of kilometres, declining to elaborate.

Troops sent in to assist also came under attack.

''Forces went in to rescue those injured. During that activity they also came under fire. An armoured vehicle was hit but it did not explode,'' said the spokesman. The spokesman said he was only aware of Hizbollah automatic weapons fire in the clash, nothing heavier.

Soldiers had earlier gone into the area overnight to destroy abandoned Hizbollah bunkers and rocket launch sites, he said.

Troops have been carrying out such missions periodically in recent days, often using armoured bulldozers to topple Hizbollah buildings. Many Lebanese residents have fled.

''The aim of these operations is to harm the terror infrastructure of Hizbollah near the border and operations to achieve this goal will continue,'' an army spokeswoman said.

Israeli artillery batteries lined up along the 80-km frontier have been shelling Lebanon since Hizbollah captured two soldiers and killed eight in a border raid a week ago, sparking the crisis.

Hizbollah has now killed 14 Israeli soldiers, including those eight.

Reuters YA GC0054