Beirut, Oct 5 (IANS): Hezbollah said on Saturday that more than 20 Israelis were killed or injured during clashes from Friday midnight until Saturday morning between groups of the Islamic Resistance and Israeli forces trying to infiltrate a border town in Lebanon.

"Elite soldiers of the Israeli enemy army, supported by artillery and air cover, tried to advance from two axes towards the villages of Maroun al-Ras and Yaroun," Hezbollah said in a statement.

"Upon the forces' arrival at the previously prepared ambush points, the Islamic Resistance fighters detonated several explosive devices and clashed with the elite officers and soldiers with light and medium weapons, and rockets from close ranges," it added.

Hezbollah reported that the ambush resulted in several deaths and injuries among the Israeli forces. The movement added that survivors evacuated the dead and wounded under the cover of artillery fire from Israeli positions within the occupied territories, Xinhua news agency reported.

According to the statement, Hezbollah fighters were "pursuing the Israeli enemy soldiers in their bases and rear barracks along the borderline in the occupied territories with artillery shells and rocket salvos."

A Lebanese military source said that an Israeli force of about 25 soldiers penetrated about 200 metres into the outskirts of the villages.

Since September 23, the Israeli army has been conducting an intensive air attack on Lebanon in a dangerous escalation with Hezbollah.