Lebanon says three soldiers killed in Israeli attack on car

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) says it has launched an investigation after confirming it attacked a vehicle carrying Lebanese soldiers in southern Lebanon on Saturday morning.

The Lebanese Army said two officers and a soldier were killed in the strike on a car, which it described as an "aggressive and barbaric raid". The IDF said the vehicle was "moving suspiciously towards forces" and gunfire had been reported in the area.

Israel has been fighting Lebanon-based Hezbollah since March, primarily in southern Lebanon, from where the armed group has launched rocket and drone attacks.

It is not in direct conflict with the Lebanese government, which is opposed to Hezbollah and has sought to mediate a ceasefire.

The strike happened on a road close to the village of Kfar Tebnit, around four miles north of the Litani River and close to the city of Nabatieh, an area which has seen intense fighting and displacement in recent months.

The Israeli military has previously issued sweeping evacuation orders for the region as its forces continue to push north, supported by regular air strikes against Hezbollah targets.

The IDF said the vehicle it struck on Saturday was travelling in an "active and evacuated combat zone" where it believes Hezbollah has operated from.

A statement said troop movements in the area require coordination with the IDF, and repeated that its forces "are operating against the Hezbollah terrorist organisation, not against the Lebanese Army".