Israel says Hezbollah remains belong to soldiers

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel has confirmed that human remains it received from Lebanese militant group Hezbollah this week belonged to five of its soldiers killed in the 2006 Lebanon war.

Israel released a Lebanese man who had completed a six-year jail term for spying for Hezbollah on Sunday and expelled him to Lebanon. On the same day, the Iranian-and Syrian-backed group said it had transferred body parts belonging to Israeli soldiers. Israel said at the time it would inspect the remains.

"This evening ... the IDF updated five bereaved families ... about the results of the soldiers' tissue examinations," an Israeli military source said late on Monday.

Sunday's exchange raised speculation of progress in indirect talks between Israel and Hezbollah over a broader prisoner swap. Lebanese political sources said last week that the talks had made major progress.

Four of the five soldiers were air crew members killed when their helicopter was shot down by Hezbollah two days before the end of the 34-day conflict. The fifth soldier was killed by an anti-tank missile in a separate incident, the source said.

(Writing by Joseph Nasr)