Hezbollah, Israel exchange fire on Lebanon border

Sept. 1 (UPI) -- Israel and Hezbollah exchanged fire on the border of Lebanon on Sunday amid rising tensions between the country and the Lebanese military group.

Hezbollah fired anti-tank missiles into northern Israel on Sunday and Israel responded with volleys of artillery against three southern Lebanese villages.

In a statement, Hezbollah said that two of its brigades launched missiles against a tank, killing and injuring some Israelis, while Israeli military spokesman Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus said the target was an unmarked military ambulance and there were no deaths or injuries.

"We were attacked with several anti-tank missiles. We responded with 100 shells and firing from the air by various means. We have no casualties," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said. "We will decide on the next steps pending developments."

The exchange comes after an Israeli airstrike in Syria killed two Hezbollah commanders and Lebanon's prime minister, Saad Harirri warned against Israeli aggression after a drone exploded in Beirut.

On Saturday, Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah warned that it was "inevitable" that the group would retaliate against Israel for the attack.

"The first retaliation on the Israeli aggression would be initiating our right to down Israeli drones. Israel should know that the Lebanese airspace is not open to its drones and the resistance will choose the right time and place to target the Israeli drones in our airspace," he said.