11 Israeli reservists killed in Hezbollah stike

Hezbollah fired a barrage of rockets at towns across northern Israel on Sunday killing 11 reserve soldiers, according to reports.

The raid is the worst rocket attack on Israel since the violence began on July 12, rescue services said. Reports coming out of Israel indicate that those killed in the raid were reserve soldiers.

"It was a direct hit on a crowd of people," Dan Ronen, the chief of the northern police command, told Army Radio. One of the rockets hit the northern town of Kfar Giladi, causing many of the injuries and deaths, rescue officials said. Army Radio said a synagogue was also hit. Convoys of police and rescue vehicles raced to the town. "This was the most difficult thing I could have imagined in my career. There are nine bodies here covered in blankets, around us cars are going up in flames," Army Radio reporter Hadas Shteif reported.

"On one side is the cemetery, on the other side are the nine young bodies waiting for burial." A nearby forest burst into flames from the barrage and huge plumes of gray smoke rose into the air. Witnesses reported the barrage was going on more than 15 minutes after it had begun. One rescue service reported at least two rockets directly hit homes.