Eight Israeli soldiers were killed, and others wounded in three clashes with Hezbollah during heavy fighting inside Lebanon.

The largest incident involved Israeli commandos near the village of Misgav Am, while two other soldiers from the Golani brigade died in a separate clash.

Hezbollah claimed to have killed Israeli soldiers and destroyed three tanks with rockets in Maroun-el-Ras.

The fighting marks the first significant clashes between Israel and Hezbollah since Israel’s ground operations targeting Hezbollah’s infrastructure, The Guardian has reported.

Israel has deployed additional troops to southern Lebanon, and civilians are evacuating amid escalating conflict.

Written by B.C. Begley