Lebanon’s Hezbollah movement said Tuesday that four of its fighters had been killed in south Lebanon, bringing to nine the number of the Iran-backed group’s members killed in intensifying border skirmishes with Israel.

In a statement, Hezbollah said four of its fighters had been killed “performing jihad,” just hours after Israel said it killed four militants who attempted to infiltrate the border from Lebanon, as war rages between Israel and Hezbollah ally Hamas in Gaza.