Journalist killed in Israel-Lebanon crossfire in S. Lebanon

BEIRUT, Oct. 19 (Xinhua) -- One journalist was killed and another injured among a group of reporters trapped Thursday night in the crossfire near a military site in southern Lebanon, Lebanese military sources told Xinhua.

Seven Lebanese and Iranian journalists were caught in a shelling between Lebanon and Israel near Israel's Al-Abbad site in the vicinity of Houla, a southern Lebanese town, during their media coverage, said the sources on condition of anonymity.

One person lost his life during the incident while the others were rescued from the area after the Lebanese Armed Forces and the United Nations Interim Forces in Lebanon (UNIFIL) broke the siege and transferred them to a safe place, said UNIFIL Spokesperson Andrea Tenenti.

He said that upon the Lebanese military's request, "UNIFIL urged the Israeli army to cease fire to facilitate the rescue operation," adding that "the Israeli army ceased fire, which allowed the Lebanese army to remove the individuals from the area successfully."

The situation on the Lebanese-Israeli border escalated after the firing by Hezbollah on Oct. 8 of tens of rockets toward military sites in Shebaa Farms in support of the "Al-Aqsa Flood" operation launched by Hamas on Oct. 7, prompting the Israeli forces to respond the same day by firing heavy artillery, targeting several areas in southeast Lebanon.