JERUSALEM (Reuters) – The Israeli military said on Wednesday that regular infantry and armoured units were joining ground operations in southern Lebanon, but said they would remain limited and localised in scope.
Israel said on Tuesday that commando and paratroop units had crossed a short distance over the border in the first publicly announced ground operation in Lebanon.
It subsequently said that special forces units had been carrying out ground raids against Hezbollah targets across the border for months, during which it uncovered tunnels and weapon caches under homes.
The addition of infantry and armoured troops from the 36th Division, including the Golani Brigade, the 188th Armoured Brigade and 6th Infantry Brigade, suggests that the operation has moved beyond limited commando raids.
The military has said the ground operation is largely aimed at destroying tunnels and other infrastructure on the border and there were no plans for a wider operation targeting Beirut or major cities in southern Lebanon.
(Reporting by Ari Rabinovitch; editing by Michael Georgy and Jason Neely)