The Lebanese army said on Saturday three of its personnel were killed in an Israeli airstrike in southern Lebanon amid a fragile ceasefire.
The army added in an online statement that the Saturday strike targeted a military vehicle on a road in the Nabatiyeh area, leaving two officers and a soldier dead.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun condemned the attack and called it a “flagrant violation of Lebanese sovereignty and of international laws and norms.”
Commenting on the incident, the Israeli army said the vehicle had moved suspiciously toward Israeli soldiers in an active combat zone in southern Lebanon.
The Israeli military added it had earlier received concrete indications that Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah militia would direct fire toward the Israeli soldiers from the same area.
The Israeli army said it is operating against Hezbollah, not against the Lebanese army, and is reviewing the incident.
The Lebanese army is not involved in ongoing fighting between Israel and Hezbollah.
Earlier this week, Israel and Lebanon agreed to a new attempt to implement a ceasefire deal, which has so far been largely ineffective. On Thursday, Hezbollah, who was not involved in the US-brokered negotiations, rejected the ceasefire with Israel.
The Israeli army Saturday ordered the immediate evacuation of all residents from five towns and villages in southern Lebanon and cited violations of the ceasefire by Hezbollah as justification for the order.
