The fighter jets flew as far as Sidon, about 45 kilometres (28 miles) south of the capital Beirut, police said.

Israel pulled its ground troops out of Lebanon in May 2000 but has since repeatedly violated Lebanese airspace, the last time on August 9, prompting UN envoy Staffan de Mistura to express "dismay" at the Israeli action.

"These air violations disturb the relative calm that had returned to the Blue Line (the Israeli-Lebanese border) since the events of July 20," he said, referring to clashes that saw two Israeli soldiers and one Hezbollah militant killed and prompted Israeli mock air raids over Beirut.

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