Eight Israeli soldiers killed in Lebanon

Eight Israeli soldiers have been killed in fighting with Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.

A further seven soldiers were wounded, some of them seriously, according to the army, citing two separate battles. The army had initially only reported one soldier killed.

The Hezbollah militia claimed to have destroyed three Israeli battle tanks that had advanced on the Lebanese town of Maroun al-Ras.

There was initially no confirmation of this from Israel.

The claims of both sides could not be independently verified.