Hezbollah guerrillas clashed with a team of Israeli paratroopers west of Baalbek, an eastern Lebanese town known as a stronghold of Lebanon's Shiite group Hezbollah, the group's television channel al-Manar reported early Wednesday.

Fierce gunbattle erupted as a group of Hezbollah fighters met an Israeli army troop near Al-Hikma Hospital west of Baalbek, al- Manar said.

Israeli army launched an airborne operation north of Baalbek on late Tuesday night following its daytime airborne operation in southern Lebanon.

Three Israeli paratroopers were killed by Hezbollah fire in a ground action after they landed in southern Lebanese village of Aita al-Shaab on Tuesday.

Israeli paratroopers with air force and tank brigade backup have been operating in southern Lebanon since pre-dawn Tuesday after Israeli security cabinet decided to widen ground offensives in Lebanon, according to Israeli army.

Israeli army forces were also deployed in a number of areas within Lebanon on Tuesday, deep in the central and western fronts.

Source: Xinhua