Israeli warplanes conducted airstrikes along the border with Lebanon Saturday after Hezbollah attacked several Israeli army posts.
The escalation came a day after Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said his powerful group is already engaged in unprecedented fighting along the Lebanon-Israel border. He threatened a further escalation as Israel's war in Gaza with Hamas, Hezbollah's ally, nears the one-month mark.
Hezbollah is prepared for all options, Nasrallah declared, "and we can resort to them at any time."
Hezbollah said in a statement that its fighters attacked at least six Israeli posts along the border, saying "suitable rockets and weapons" were used. It added that "direct hits were scored and technical equipment was destroyed."
Hezbollah's Al-Manar TV reported that fighters shot down a spy balloon that Israel's military posted over the northern settlement of Misgav Am.
On the outskirts of the village of Rmeish, in a rugged area along the border, an Israeli airstrike caused thick gray smoke. Artillery shelling could be heard from a distance.
Lebanon's state-run National News Agency reported airs.