Hezbollah mourns fighter killed in clashes with Israel

​​​​​BEIRUT

Hezbollah announced Wednesday that one of its fighters has been killed in clashes with the Israeli army on the Lebanese southern border.

“Mohammad Ouda from the town of El-Khodr in Baalbek has been martyred,” the Lebanese group said without providing further details about the circumstances of his death or the nature of the confrontation.

The death toll for Hezbollah members has risen to 78 since Oct. 8, according to previous statements from Hezbollah.

In a separate statement by Lebanon’s national news agency, Hezbollah announced it targeted “Israeli enemy soldiers' gatherings and vehicles around the Raheb site with two Volcan rockets, as well as the site of Bleda and the Yiftah base on the Lebanese border.”

The group claimed to have achieved “direct hits” in the confrontations.

The agency reported that Israeli artillery shelled the town of Kafr Kila with phosphorus bombs Wednesday afternoon, as well as the outskirts of Bleda and Mhaibib on the border.

The direct artillery shelling affected the vicinity of Naqoura, Jabal al-Labouneh, Alma al-Shab, Tyre Harfa, Chamaa, Aita al-Shaab, Rmaish, Dahiyeh, Shiyyah and Yater to the south, according to the agency.

*Writing by Rania Abu Shamala