The Israeli military claimed it had deployed troops to several locations in southern Lebanon in what it described in a statement as a “forward defence” measure along the border, AFP reports.

“We have positioned soldiers on the border area in additional points to defend our civilians, to prevent Hezbollah from attacking them,” military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani told journalists in a separate briefing.

“This is not a ground operation. This is a tactical measure… to ensure the safety of our people,” he added.