Israel already has about 10,000 troops in southern Lebanon, and it was not immediately clear how many more would be deployed in the widened military campaign. Olmert's office said further details would be released in a separate statement.

Reshuffle

Also on Wednesday, Aljazeera reported that 11 Israeli soldiers were killed by Hezbollah fighters.

The Israeli army declined to comment on reports that said the soldiers were killed near the Israel-Lebanon border.

But it had said earlier on Wednesday that 15 soldiers were wounded in overnight clashes, without specifying whether these were on Tuesday or Wednesday.

So far over 70 Israeli soldiers have been killed.

Also on Tuesday, in a surprise step, the army's chief-of-staff appointed major-general Moshe Kaplinsky "to co-ordinate operations in Lebanon".

The move more or less sidelines major-general Udi Adam, who has been the top commander of the Lebanon front and could come as a blow to the morale of Israeli forces.

Israeli media linked the appointment of Kaplinsky to mounting public criticism of the army's handling of the battle against Hezbollah.

The naming of a fellow general to oversee the campaign was described in a headline in Israel's Maariv daily as "an effective dismissal".

Deadly attacks

Meanwhile Israeli fighter jets continued to hit targets in the north, east and centre of Lebanon before dawn on Wednesday, striking roads, bridges, fuel tankers and homes, police said.