Israeli soldiers have fought with Hezbullah fighters to enable the escape of an Israeli who floated into Lebanon in a hang-glider and landed a few metres across the border.

The clash occurred on Wednesday hours after Israel dropped thousands of anti-Hezbollah leaflets over Lebanon, and two days after a cross-border shootout that saw some of the heaviest fighting in years.

Hezbullah’s Al-Manar television said the fighting began when fighters engaged Israeli troops who had crossed into Lebanon.

Aljazeera reporter in Lebanon Abbas Nasir said the Israeli hang-glider pilot fell near a landmine field in Lebanese territory, a few metres away from the border.

Hezbullah fighters immediately rushed to the area to arrest the Israeli, as they viewed it as a clear violation of Lebanese sovereignty, he said.
Israeli occupation forces then opened heavy gunfire at Hezbullah fighters, preventing them from reaching the pilot, he added. 

Heavy fire

Israeli warplanes hovering over the area, opened heavy fire, the correspondent reported.

An Israeli force then entered the area and rescued the glider pilot, he added.

But Israeli security officials claimed their troops did not enter Lebanon.

The Israeli troops fired on Hezbullah and opened a gate in the border fence to allow the hang-glider pilot to run back into Israel, the security officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Lebanese security officials, who also spoke on condition of anonymity, said the hang-glider must have been blown off course by the wind.

They said the incident occurred in the Meiss el-Jabal area.

PHOTO CAPTION

Adam Vokesler, an Israeli civilian paraglider that drifted across the border to land just inside south Lebanon, covers his face as he is detained by Israeli border police officers near the northern Israeli village of Manara November 23, 2005. (REUTERS)