Israel says 70 Hezbollah fighters killed in three days

JERUSALEM: The Israeli army said on Saturday it had killed at least 70 Hezbollah fighters in battles in southern Lebanon over the past three days.             

"Over the past three days we have killed between 70 and 80 Hezbollah terrorists, mainly in Bint Jbeil and Marun Al-Ras," General Udi Adam, the commander of Israeli forces in the north, told reporters.   

Adam defended the Israeli retreat from the Lebanese town of Bint Jbeil, a stronghold of the Shiite militia where nine Israeli soldiers were killed in a fierce ground battle last Wednesday.       

"We have surrounded Bint Jbeil, which is in ruins, by occupying high positiions and we are keeping our freedom of movement," he said, adding that Israeli forces had not intended to "occupy the terrain."     

"We have no intention of being trapped in a single spot," he said, adding that the operation around Bint Jbeil would take "several weeks."             

Israeli tanks and armored vehicles left the hills overlooking Bint Jbeil, the main border town, late on Friday and returned to Marun Al-Ras, which was captured by Israeli forces last weekend.