BEIRUT, Aug 19 (Xinhua) -- Hezbollah guerrillas foiled an Israeli commando raid in Lebanon early Saturday, the Hezbollah TV reported.

    A gun battle erupted when a group of Israeli commandoes dropped by helicopter launched the raid west of the Hezbollah's stronghold of Baalbek deep inside Lebanon, leaving Israeli casualties.

    Lebanese security officials unofficially confirmed the Hezbollah TV report.

    If officially confirmed, the raid would mean the first time that Israel launched a formal military operation since the U.N.-brokered ceasefire went into effect Monday.

    Hezbollah's Al-Manar TV reported that the Israeli commando force landed before dawn and was heading into the Hezbollah stronghold when it was intercepted by Hezbollah guerrillas.

    The Hezbollah guerrillas forced the Israeli commandoes to retreat under the cover of warplanes, the report said. Enditem

Related stories:

Lebanese PM blames Israel for violating ceasefire resolution

   BEIRUT, Aug. 19 (Xinhua) -- Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Seniora on Saturday blamed Israel for violating a UN ceasefire resolution by dropping commandos in eastern Lebanon.

   "The landing carried out by Israeli occupation forces today in the Bekaa was a flagrant violation of the cessation of hostilities announced by the Security Council," Seniora said in a statement.

   He said that he had complained to a UN delegation Saturday, and would take up the matter with UN chief Kofi Annan. Full story

Israeli army: one officer killed in raid on Lebanon

    JERUSALEM, Aug. 19 (Xinhua) -- The Israeli army said that one officer was killed and two others were wounded in an air-borne raid on a Hezbollah stronghold in eastern Lebanon on Saturday.

    One of the two wounded soldiers was in serious condition, said the army, adding that the other sustained light injuries.

    The wounded have been evacuated to Rambam Hospital in the northern Israeli city of Haifa, the army added. Full story

Israeli army confirms raid in eastern Lebanon

   JERUSALEM, Aug. 19 (Xinhua) -- The Israeli army confirmed that its commandos carried out a raid in eastern Lebanon on early Saturday.

   The army said that the air-borne operation by special forces was aimed to prevent weapons being transferred to Hezbollah from Iran and Syria.

   Earlier, the pan-Arab al-Jazeera satellite channel reported that three Hezbollah guerillas were killed by Israeli commandos in the raid. Full story