Israel increased its air raids on Lebanon on Saturday, which destroyed a bridge in the eastern Bekaa Valley in the early morning.

The Israeli fresh airstrikes came after Lebanese Hezbollah guerrillas launched a new type of rocket that made its deepest strike into Israel, which unnerved Israelis as most of the people there are already living in shelters because of rocket bombardments.

Lebanon's state news agency ANI reported that Israeli air forces on Saturday also renewed its raids on Beirut's southern suburbs, a stronghold of the Lebanese Shiite militant group Hezbollah, and a missile fired by them destroyed a four-wheel- drive vehicle.

The driver of the vehicle escaped "miraculously" unharmed when he jumped out of the vehicle which was hit by an air-to-ground missile, said ANI.

On the other hand, Israeli forces have pulled back from positions on the outskirts of a Hezbollah stronghold town in southern Lebanon that has been the scene of deadly battles, Lebanese police said Saturday.

Tanks and armored vehicles left the hills overlooking the main border town of Bint Jbeil late Friday and returned to Marun Al-Ras, said the police, adding Israeli troops in Marun Al-Ras continued to bombard Bint Jbeil and nearby Aitarun.

Lebanese officials have said that about 12 civilians died in the fighting on Friday.

Israel said it killed 26 Hezbollah fighters, raising to about 230 the total number killed in the conflict.

The Israel-Lebanon conflict erupted on July 12 following the capture of two Israeli soldiers by Hezbollah guerillas during cross-border attacks.

Some 600 Lebanese have been killed in Israeli attacks, according to Lebanese official count.

Meanwhile, some 50 Israelis, including 18 civilians, have also been killed in the conflict, said media reports.

Source: Xinhua