Rocket fire from Lebanon hit northern Israel Wednesday, which Israel retaliated with shelling, the Israeli army said, as tensions rise between Israel and its archenemy Iran.

"Three rockets were fired from Lebanon into Israeli territory," the army said in a statement, adding that one had fallen short of the border. "In response ... artillery forces fired into Lebanese territory," it said, according to remarks carried by Agence France-Presse (AFP).

The rockets hit near the northern town of Kiryat Shmona, where air raid sirens sent residents into bomb shelters. Magen David Adom medics distributed images of a brush fire and said they treated four people suffering "stress symptoms." The army said it had imposed no restrictions on civilians in northern areas.

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said he and Defense Minister Benny Gantz had been "briefed" on developments and were overseeing the response.

According to a Lebanese security source, six Israeli shells later landed in Lebanon, as Deutsche Presse-Agentur (dpa) reported. It also said that a fire broke out after the impact of a missile.

The exchange of fire comes days after Israel joined other states in accusing Iran of being behind an apparent drone attack on an Israeli-linked tanker off Oman, which killed two crew members, and hinted at possible retaliation. Iran denied the allegation and warned it would "respond to any possible adventurism."

Similar incidents have been reported in recent months in which the Israeli army immediately responded to targets in Lebanon believed to have been the sites of rocket attacks against Israel.