ISRAEL yesterday suffered its heaviest losses in Lebanon in its offensive against Hezbollah, with militants killing eight soldiers in a battle for a key town.

Israeli warplanes hit TV transmission towers today in Lebanon, knocking the nation’s leading private network off the air and cutting phone links to some regions.

Heavy clashes erupted in southern Lebanon today as Hezbollah TV announced that guerrillas had captured two Israeli soldiers along the border with Israel.

Hezbollah and Israeli forces exchanged rocket and artillery fire across the border in southern Lebanon today, a Hezbollah official said.