Israeli jets fire on Lebanon

Air-launched missiles slammed into the hills of south Lebanon on Wednesday as Israeli warplanes swooped on a suspected Hezbollah gun position.

Lebanese security forces said three missiles hit the Bayyarda hills near the city of Tyre at 2000 local time (1700 GMT).

Confirming an attack had been carried out, Israeli sources said a gun position had been destroyed after shells were fired at its northern border earlier in the day.

Hezbollah said one of its anti-aircraft artillery pieces had opened fire earlier at Israeli jets flying over the area.

An air defence unit had fired at "Israeli enemy planes which violated Lebanese sovereignty", said a statement released by the group in Beirut.

There have been no reports of casualties but an Israeli military official in Jerusalem, Major Sharon Feingold, said a Hezbollah cannon had been destroyed.

The cannon had fired the shells from a position about four kilometres (2.5 miles) north of the Israeli border, the major said.

Israeli military sources added that about five shells had landed in open spaces near the border town of Zarit.

It was the first Israeli air raid on Lebanon since 10 August when shells fired by Hezbollah killed a 16-year-old Israeli and wounded five others after a long lull along the border.