Jerusalem (CNN) The Israeli Army said Saturday it uncovered a second tunnel crossing from Lebanon into Israel, days after it announced an operation to "expose and thwart" such tunnels.

Israel Defense Forces spokesman Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus told reporters in a conference call that soldiers discovered a "fresh tunnel" that showed signs of recent digging by Hezbollah operatives.

"We placed explosives inside the tunnel to make sure it cannot be used to infiltrate into Israel," Conricus told reporters, adding the tunnels were designed "to allow elite terrorists to enter Israel and to attack Israel civilians and Israeli targets."

Earlier in the week the Israeli army said it was launching an operation dubbed "Northern Shield" along the northern border with Lebanon to "expose and thwart cross border tunnels" it said had been dug by Hezbollah, the Iran-funded militant group and political party.

Hours later the IDF said it found a tunnel near the Israeli border town of Metula that began in a civilian's house in the nearby Lebanese village of Kafr Kela. The tunnel was 2 meters by 2 meters and an estimated 200 meters long, according to Conricus.

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