LEBANON BORDER, JULY 24, SPA -- HEAVY FIGHTING ERUPTED MONDAY AS ISRAELI GROUND FORCES PUSHED FURTHER INTO LEBANON, ENTERING ANOTHER HEZBOLLAH STRONGHOLD, AND AT LEAST NINE ISRAELI SOLDIERS WERE WOUNDED, THE MILITARY SAID. THE HEZBOLLAH FIGHTERS ALSO FIRED MORE ROCKETS AT NORTHERN ISRAEL. ISRAELI TROOPS TOOK CONTROL OF A HILLTOP IN THE LEBANESE TOWN OF BINT JBAIL AFTER A HEAVY ARTILLERY BARRAGE, BUT HAD NOT TAKEN THE TOWN ITSELF, MILITARY OFFICIALS WERE QUOTED AS SAYING BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS. NEARLY CONSTANT GUNFIRE AND EXPLOSIONS COULD BE HEARD IN SOUTHERN LEBANON FROM THE ISRAELI SIDE OF THE BORDER, AND LARGE PLUMES OF GRAY SMOKE ROSE OVER THE AREA. SEVERAL ISRAELI TANKS AND ARMORED BULLDOZERS WERE SEEN HEADING TOWARD THE BATTLE, BUT TWO TANKS ALSO TRAVERSED THE ROCKY HILLS AT HIGH SPEED, CROSSING BACK INTO ISRAEL TO CARRY WOUNDED SOLDIERS OUT. THE WOUNDED WERE TAKEN TO CIVILIAN AMBULANCES, WHICH SPED OFF TOWARD HOSPITALS WITH SIRENS BLARING. THE MILITARY SAID IT CAPTURED TWO HEZBOLLAH FIGHTERS, AND ISRAELI MEDIA SAID ATTACKS BY ISRAEL'S AIR FORCE HAD CAUSED SOME HEZBOLLAH CASUALTIES. BINT JBAIL, A MAJOR TOWN, IS ABOUT 2 KILOMETERS (1.25 MILES) NORTH OF THE HILLTOP VILLAGE OF MAROUN AL-RAS, ANOTHER HEZBOLLAH CENTER. OVER THE WEEKEND, ISRAELI GROUND TROOPS FOUGHT FOR CONTROL OF MAROUN AL-RAS, WHICH IS LESS THAN 500 YARDS (METERS) FROM THE BORDER.
