Shia Hizbollah militants captured two Israeli soldiers during clashes along the Lebanese border on Wednesday, triggering an Israeli assault by land, sea and air and dramatically raising regional tension.
Ehud Olmert, the Israeli Prime Minister, said Israel was now under attack from the north and south, and described the operation by Hizbollah as an “act of war” by Lebanon. He sent ground forces across the border into the south of the country for the first time since their withdrawal in 2000.
