Hezbollah fighters are said to have foiled an Israeli commando raid west of Baalbek in eastern Lebanon.

Media reports quoted Lebanese security sources as saying on Saturday that Israeli aircraft and commandos raided the village of Bodai, west of the ancient city of Baalbek in the Bekaa Valley, at dawn.

The sources said that Israeli warplanes and helicopters attacked unidentified targets during the air drop of the commandos.

Al-Manar TV reported that fighters from Hezbollah clashed with Israeli commandos near Bodai and forced them to fly out under the cover of air strikes.

The Hezbollah-run station said the Israeli unit landed before dawn and was driving into the village when it was intercepted by the fighters, who forced it to retreat under the cover of warplanes.

It said the fighters had inflicted "certain casualties" among the Israeli forces.

A  Lebanese military spokesman confirmed that Israeli forces had staged the commando operation and that there had been clashes with Hezbollah fighters.

There were no comments from Israel on the reports.

Such an assault, if proved to be true, would be the first serious attack since a UN truce ended 34 days of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah.

Photo Caption

The map of Lebanon