Hizbollah battles Israeli soldiers in Lebanon

BEIRUT, Aug 7 (Reuters) Hizbollah guerrillas battled Israeli forces occupying a swathe of territory in south Lebanon today, killing at least one Israeli soldier and wounding several others.

Al Arabiya television said three Israeli soldiers were killed in the south, where some 10,000 troops are trying to push Hizbollah away from the border and quell rocket fire into northern Israel.

The Israeli army said one of its soldiers was killed and four wounded.

Lebanese security sources said fierce fighting was raging around the border town of Bint Jbeil, scene of several bloody battles in the last two weeks.

Hizbollah guerrillas fired anti-tank rockets and lobbed mortar bombs at Israeli forces near the town as well as at several points where Israeli soldiers took up positions inside Lebanon.

Hizbollah said earlier it had ambushed and killed four Israeli soldiers in the border village of Houla. An Israeli army spokeswoman said five soldiers were wounded, but none killed.

The guerrillas fired salvoes of rockets into northern Israel from an area close to the Litani River. Israeli aircraft launched more than 25 raids into targets in the area.

Israel Radio quoted political sources who said they expected an expanded ground push toward the Litani River, 20 km inside southern Lebanon, to take out rocket launching sites and Hizbollah bunkers REUTERS SP ND1554