Beirut - (AFP) - The Lebanese army announced Thursday that three of its soldiers were killed during their participation in raids on the homes of wanted drug dealers in the east of the country.

The army said in a tweet on its account, "Three soldiers were killed and three wanted men were killed during the clashes that took place in the town of Hortala" in the Bekaa region.

The army had announced earlier that its units had carried out "raids on homes wanted for drug trafficking" in the town, pointing out that "the soldiers came under fire, and they responded to the sources of fire."

The army often carries out raids in that region in search of wanted drug dealers, especially Captagon pills, whose industry has flourished in the country during the past years, especially in the Bekaa region near the Syrian border. Lebanon is also a major conduit for smuggling operations from neighboring Syria.