JERUSALEM (Reuters) – The Israeli army said on Wednesday that regular infantry and armor units would join ground operations in southern Lebanon, but said these would remain limited and local in scope.
Israel said on Tuesday that commando and paratroop units had crossed a short distance across the border in the first publicly announced ground operation in Lebanon.
It then said special forces had been carrying out ground attacks on Hezbollah targets across the border for months, uncovering tunnels and weapons caches under homes.
The addition of infantry and armored troops from the 36th Division, including the Golani Brigade, the 188th Armored Brigade and the 6th Infantry Brigade, suggests that the operation will go beyond limited commando raids.
The army has said the ground operation is largely aimed at destroying tunnels and other infrastructure on the border and that there were no plans for a broader operation targeting Beirut or major cities in southern Lebanon.
(Reporting by Ari Rabinovitch; Editing by Michael Georgy and Jason Neely)
