Hours later, Israeli troops and their Lebanese militia allies shelled Shiite villages in the vicinity.

The zone is held jointly by Israeli troops and local militia allies.

Hezbollah spearheads attacks on an Israeli-occupied "security zone" in southern Lebanon, jointly held by Israeli troops and its local militia allies.

The zone is patrolled by about 1,000 Israeli troops and their local militia allies, the South Lebanon Army.

On Wednesday, the fundamentalists fought Israeli troops and their militia allies near the village of Kawkaba, which commands a main access point to the buffer zone.

On March 14, 1989, Aoun launched what he termed a "war of liberation" against the Syrians and their Lebanese militia allies.

Witnesses reported explosions as rebels tried to break through defenses of Nigerian-led West African forces and their militia allies.

Security officials said Israeli forces and their militia allies shelled three villages today; there were no immediate reports of casualties.

In response, Israeli forces and their Lebanese militia allies unleashed artillery rounds at hills said to be guerrilla strongholds.

The prison, formerly run by Israel's Lebanese militia allies during its occupation of south Lebanon, was destroyed.