Massive Hezbollah exercise reported

BEIRUT, Lebanon, Nov. 5 (UPI) -- A Lebanese newspaper said Monday Hezbollah militants have conducted their largest military exercise in southern Lebanon.

The Al-Akhbar daily said thousands of fighters massed south of the Litani River under the command of Hezbollah Secretary-General Sheik Hassan Nasrallah, Ynetnews.com reported.

The drill reportedly included thousands of infantry guerrillas, anti-tank missile units, anti-aircraft missile units and an engineering unit.

The newspaper said officials with the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon "was amazed by the covert action of Hezbollah, which was able to keep the drill under wraps right up to its start."

However, the exercise didn't go unnoticed by Israel, whose air force reportedly followed the exercise with "unprecedented activity along the border," Al-Akhbar said.

Nasrallah was quoted as saying the purpose of the drill was an "exercise of defensive nature against an overall Israeli strike."