Two rockets have been fired from southern Lebanon toward Israel, prompting cross-border strikes by the Israeli military.

The incident comes amid heightened Israeli-Arab tensions after Israel this week conducted one of its largest military incursions in decades in the occupied West Bank, targeting the Jenin camp, a Palestinian militant stronghold.

Three security sources in Lebanon said two rockets were fired toward Israel, one landing in Lebanese territory and the second near a disputed area at the border.

After initially saying it had no indications of any unusual incidents on its side of the border, the Israeli military said on Thursday a projectile had exploded there. There was no word of any damage.

“In response, the IDF (Israel Defence Forces) is currently striking the area from which the launch was carried out in Lebanese territory,” a military statement said.

It added that Israeli communities near the border had not been issued with any special instructions.

During major flare-ups, Israel usually orders civilians within range to take cover.

Witnesses saw plumes of white smoke emanating from the hilly south.

One resident of Wazzani, the village in southern Lebanon where one of the rockets fell, said artillery fire had hit there from the direction of Israel.

The sources in Lebanon said the second rocket had landed near the disputed village of Ghajar, which straddles the Israel-Lebanon border but whose residents profess allegiance to Syria.

There was no claim of responsibility for the reported rocket fire and no immediate comment from the Lebanese army or the UN peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon (UNIFIL).

-Reuters