BEIRUT -- Hezbollah announced on Wednesday that it had destroyed eight Israeli Merkava tanks in the village of Taybeh in southern Lebanon as its clashes with the Israeli forces continued along the border.

Hezbollah later reported that it had targeted the forces assigned to recover destroyed vehicles and evacuate the wounded, hitting them with rocket salvos and artillery shells.

Earlier in the day, Naim Qassem, secretary-general of Hezbollah, said that the group will continue what he described as a "defensive battle" against Israel, urging national unity and rejecting calls to disarm amid ongoing hostilities.

Hezbollah entered the confrontation on March 2 by launching rockets from southern Lebanon toward Israel for the first time since a ceasefire on Nov 27, 2024, prompting Israel to carry out an intensified military campaign targeting multiple areas across the country.