Israel has killed two people, including a State Security officer, in separate attacks in Lebanon as it continues its assaults on the country since the ceasefire with Hezbollah came into effect last week. For its part, the Lebanese group said on Monday that it carried out a "preliminary defensive response" to the "repeated violations" of the ceasefire by attacking an Israeli military base in the hills of Kfar Chouba, a disputed area that Lebanon claims as its own. Hezbollah said Israeli breaches of the truce that went into effect on Wednesday include deadly air raids across Lebanon, shooting at civilians in the south, and flying drones and jets in Lebanese airspace, including over the capital, Beirut. The group said it launched its "warning" attack because "appeals by the relevant authorities to stop these violations did not succeed". The renewed violence highlights the fragility of the ceasefire, which ended a devastating war that killed nearly 4,000 people in Lebanon and saw Hezbollah fire rockets daily at Israel.

BEIRUT – Lebanese army gunners opened fired at two of three Israeli reconnaissance drones Wednesday after they entered Lebanese airspace, a security official and the state news agency said, amid heightened tensions between the two countries. The incident occurred in the village of Adeisseh, a few kilometers (miles) from the Israeli border. The security official told The Associated Press that the drones left Lebanese airspace after being fired on and that none of them was shot down. The official spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations. The incident came just days after an alleged Israeli drone crashed in a Hezbollah stronghold in southern Beirut, landing on the militant group's Beirut media office while another exploded midair and crashed nearby.

Early Tuesday, Hezbollah changed its description of the first drone, saying that it had been carrying 12 pounds of explosives. The group's officials had previously said the first drone was for surveillance while the second was laden with explosives. Hezbollah is a political party represented in the Lebanese government as well as the country's most formidable military force. It fought a devastating war against Israel in 2006 and has more recently sent fighters to help President Bashar al-Assad of Syria fight rebels seeking to overthrow him. Israel and Iran have long been staunch enemies, but the conflict has heated up recently as Israel has increasingly attacked armed groups that Iran backs to extend its influence in the Arab world.