Townspeople in the Lebanese town of Nabatiyeh town of Nabatiyeh blocked all roads around the town with burning tyres and barricades in protest against Israel's policy of carrying its war against Palestinian commandos into south Lebanon.

An Israeli force, estimated at about 200 commandos, attacked the village of Taibeh - near Nabatiyeh - on Wednesday night (1 January) and killed four people, including two children, according to Lebanese military sources.

During the ten-minute raid a villager and his two children were killed when their house was blown up. The fourth victim was apparently a student who was walking home when the Israelis attacked.

The raid was the latest in a long series of Israeli ground, sea and air attacks across the Lebanese border and the second incursion on successive nights.