ISRAELI ground troops pushed further into southern Lebanon today as the army suffered 15 casualties in the single worst day of fighting in the four-week war. “This new operation falls within the geographical framework already established,” army spokesman Captain Jacob Dallal said, playing down a media report that an expanded sweep against Hezbollah was under way. Capt Dallal said tanks and troops had crossed into Lebanon in order to quell Hezbollah rocket fire from al-Khiam, a town that has already seen fighting.The Associated Press reported the military said 15 soldiers had been killed and 38 wounded in battles across south Lebanon. Israel TV said some of the dead and wounded were reservists, and the others were from the standing army. Reports citing diplomatic sources also said members of Iran's Revolutionary Guard had been found among Hezbollah guerrillas slain by Israeli forces in southern Lebanon. Israel's Channel 10 television reported the Iranians were identified by papers found on their bodies, but gave no further details on how many were discovered or when.
Earlier in the day, Israel's security cabinet authorised an expanded sweep into southern Lebanon. Witnesses in Lebanon said Israeli ground troops had reached the village of Qlaya, 5km from the border. Israeli troops have carried out frequent incursions into southern Lebanon in the past four weeks.
Witnesses on Israel's northern border said earlier that Israel had begun its expanded offensive against Hezbollah guerrillas as armoured columns moved into southern Lebanon under cover of intensive artillery fire. World powers are divided on a UN resolution to try to end the four-week war which has claimed 1005 lives in Lebanon and killed 101 Israelis.