Israeli soldier wounded by gunfire on Lebanese border: Army

Jerusalem: Gunfire from a vehicle in Lebanon towards Israeli forces on the border wounded an Israeli soldier on Wednesday and officers returned fire, the army said.

"Shots were fired from a passing vehicle in Lebanon at (Israeli) forces during routine activity adjacent to the border in the area of Ramin Ridge," an army statement said.

"Forces responded with fire towards the vehicle. A hit was confirmed. The injured soldier was evacuated for medical treatment."

Lebanon and Israel are still officially at war although the border area has been relatively calm in recent years.

Israel occupied parts of Lebanon for 22 years until 2000, with Shiite militant group Hezbollah claiming credit for its withdrawal following persistent guerrilla attacks.

A 34-day conflict in 2006 led to the deaths of 1,200 people in Lebanon, mainly civilians, and 160 Israelis, mostly soldiers.

It began when Israel retaliated for a cross-border raid in which Hezbollah captured two Israeli soldiers and killed three, and quickly spiralled into a fully fledged war.

In January, Hezbollah said it had targeted an Israeli army border patrol with a bomb in an attack that prompted retaliatory fire from the Jewish state.