Beirut, Oct 20 (IANS): Three Lebanese soldiers were killed on Sunday afternoon when the Israeli army targeted a vehicle in the central sector of the border area in southern Lebanon, according to a statement by the Lebanese army command.

"The Israeli enemy targeted an army vehicle on the Ain Ebel-Hanine road in the south, which led to the death of three Lebanese soldiers," said the army command.

Lebanese military sources, who spoke anonymously, told Xinhua news agency that an Israeli force fired a direct rocket shell at the vehicle.

"The Israeli warplanes carried out about 43 airstrikes on villages, towns and open areas in southern Lebanon and 15 raids in eastern Lebanon," said the sources.

Meanwhile, Hezbollah said that its fighters targeted Israel's Filon base, headquarters of 210th Division in northern Israel and Israeli army gatherings on the outskirts of several Lebanese villages with artillery and missiles.

The Israeli army has been conducting intensive attacks on Lebanon in a dangerous escalation with Hezbollah since late September.