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Heavy fighting continued on Sunday in the southern Lebanese town of Bint Jbeil, a stronghold of the Iran-backed Hezbollah, according to Israeli and Lebanese reports.<\/p>\n
Lebanese security sources said Israeli troops had advanced further into the town, located just a few kilometres from the Israeli border, where dozens of Hezbollah fighters have been trapped after days of clashes.<\/p>\n
Hezbollah said it had targeted Israeli soldiers in the area with rockets. The Al-Manar broadcaster, which is affiliated with the group, reported that Israeli forces were attempting to fully encircle Bint Jbeil and cut off surrounding roads, while Hezbollah was responding with rockets, artillery and drones and had repelled attempts to push deeper into the town.<\/p>\n
The Israeli military said at least 20 Hezbollah fighters had been killed in recent days on the grounds of a government hospital in Bint Jbeil.<\/p>\n
It accused Hezbollah of storing weapons at the facility and launching attacks from there, claims that could not be independently verified. Hezbollah did not immediately comment on the allegation.<\/p>\n
Israel\u2019s ynet news portal reported heavy aerial bombardment of the town, while Lebanon\u2019s NNA news agency said Israeli soldiers had destroyed several residential buildings.<\/p>\n
Bint Jbeil was also the scene of intense fighting between Israeli ground forces and Hezbollah during the Second Lebanon War two decades ago.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n