JERUSALEM

The Israeli army said on Tuesday that its forces launched a ground incursion into southern Lebanon with the aim of establishing a “security zone,” noting that its troops are positioned at “strategic points.”

In a statement, the army said its forces had launched what it called a “forward defense operation for the northern towns.”

"The 91st Division is operating in southern Lebanon and is positioned at a number of strategic points in the area (not specified),” as part of “strengthening the forward defense system," it claimed.

The operation aims to create an additional security layer for the northern population by conducting large-scale strikes on Hezbollah infrastructure to prevent infiltration attempts into Israel, it further claimed.

In separate statements on Tuesday, the Lebanese group Hezbollah claimed that it targeted three military bases in northern Israel and the Israeli-occupied Syrian Golan Heights with rockets and drones.

The escalation also came as the US and Israel continued a large-scale attack on Iran since Saturday, killing several top Iranian leaders, including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and military officials.

In response, Tehran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, as well as Gulf countries that are home to US assets.

*Writing by Serdar Dincel in Istanbul