ALBAWABA - Israeli forces are reportedly holding the bodies of two Hezbollah fighters who were killed in an airstrike near the southern Lebanese border, according to a security source speaking to Al Jazeera on Friday. This incident comes as cross-border hostilities continue to escalate since October 8, raising fears of a broader conflict.
The security source indicated that the fighters were targeted in an Israeli strike in the Wadi Hunin area several days ago. As of now, Hezbollah has not issued a formal statement regarding the incident.
Earlier, the Israeli military claimed to have thwarted an attempt to plant an explosive device along the border last Sunday, stating that it ambushed two Hezbollah members engaged in the operation and targeted them with artillery and airstrikes.
While the Israeli army asserted that both operatives were killed, it did not mention the detention of their bodies.
Hezbollah recently announced the deaths of fighters Ali Sobhi Mansour from Taybeh and Hussein Hassan Fakih from Rab Thalathin in southern Lebanon, but did not provide information about the status of their bodies. However, sources close to Hezbollah claimed that the Israeli forces have captured the bodies of both fighters.
This marks the first time since the recent outbreak of border clashes that Israeli forces have been reported to hold the bodies of Hezbollah fighters. Notably, in 2000, Hezbollah captured three Israeli soldiers during a patrol along the security fence on the Lebanese border, followed by the capture of two more soldiers in 2006.
