A missile fired at an Israeli naval vessel off Lebanon hit a civilian boat, possibly from Egypt, the Israeli army said on Saturday. A spokeswoman said those on board were believed to have been evacuated, adding it was unclear if there were any casualties.After initially saying the missile had been fired at an Israeli vessel in a fresh strike early on Saturday, the spokeswoman later said it had been part of an attack late on Friday when an Israeli warship was badly damaged. "At the same time as the incident took place in which an Israeli ship was hit, a merchant ship was also hit," the spokeswoman said.
Israeli media said the damaged missile ship was hit by an airborne drone packed with explosives. Four Israeli troops were missing after the warship was hit in an attack claimed by Hizbollah, Al Jazeera television said, as violence escalated between Israel and the guerrilla group.