26 Hezbollah gunmen killed by IDF in Bint Jbail clashes
Last update - 02:06 29/07/2006
26 Hezbollah gunmen killed by IDF in Bint Jbail clashes
By Ze'ev Schiff and Amos Harel, Haaretz Correspondents, and Agencies
Israel Defense Forces troops killed 26 Hezbollah gunmen in clashes in the southern Lebanon town of Bint Jbail. No IDF troops were hurt in the opreation, an army spokesperson said.
During the day's fighting, a joint force of Paratroopers and soldiers from the Golani Brigade seized Hezbollah equipment including five anti-tank missiles, 30 hand grenades, 41 clips and 10 bullet proof vests.
"(Israeli) forces are still there at the moment," an army spokeswoman said.
Meanwhile, Israel Air Force warplanes took out the launchers used by Hezbollah to fire a new kind of missile at the Afula area, the furthest south that the guerilla group has reached since it began battering the north of Israel more than two weeks ago.
The initial investigation revealed that the missile has a range of 90 kilometers. The northern district police said that this kind of missile had not landed in the area before. The level of damage caused by the missile impact and the size of the warhead is also unprecedented, suggesting that it could have weighed up to 100 kilograms.
Security officials are looking into the possibility that the missile could have originated in Iran, and may even be a Zelzal missile, which has a range of up to 200 kilometers. Hezbollah has moved some of its rocket and missile launchers further north inside Lebanon following IAF attacks to destroy them.
On Thursday night, IAF planes fired more than 30 missiles at suspected Hezbollah hideouts in hills and mountainous areas in southeastern Lebanon. The day before, the IAF scored a direct hit against Hezbollah's missile command center deployed in Tyre, which was responsible for firing rockets on the Haifa area.
The IDF believes that at least 200 Hezbollah operatives have been killed since the fighting began more than two weeks ago, a military source said Friday.
IAF warplanes struck three buildings in a village near the market town of Nabatiyeh in southern Lebanon as they renewed attacks on suspected Hezbollah targets Friday, killing a Jordanian citizen and a Lebanese couple and wounding nine people, including four children, Lebanese security officials said.
Israel Defense Forces troops also killed five Hezbollah operatives in the Lebanese town of Bint Jbail before dawn Friday, Israel Radio reported.
Israeli jets staged four bombing runs that left roads damaged in
southeastern Lebanon, the security officials said. No casualties were reported.
Israeli artillery pounded the border village of Arnoun on Friday. The village is outside Nabatiyeh and next to the strategic Crusader's Beaufort Castle, which has a commanding view of the border area. More than 40 shells struck the village, sending up clouds of gray smoke, witnesses said.
The security cabinet on Thursday authorized the mobilization of three divisions of reservists, "to prepare the force for possible developments," but said that they will be deployed, if necessary, only after further approval by the cabinet.
Israel launched its military blitz against Hezbollah on July 12, in response to the militants' capture of two Israeli soldiers in a cross-border attack.
Lebanon's health minister estimated Thursday that as many as 600 civilians have been killed so far, though the official toll stood at 382.
A total of 33 Israeli soldiers have died in the fighting and 19 civilians were killed in Hezbollah's unyielding rocket attacks on Israel's northern towns, the IDF said.
Direct hit against missile command center in Tyre
The IAF scored a successful direct hit Thursday against Hezbollah's missile command center deployed in Tyre, which has been primarily responsible for targeting Haifa and its surroundings. The regional command center was located on the 12th floor of a Tyre building that the IAF destroyed.
The IAF bombings continued as Israel Defense Forces artillery pounded townships in the south. According to reports from Lebanon, two women were killed in the attacks.
The western sector of south Lebanon, which was quiet until recently, was also shelled on Thursday, and residents of more villages were ordered to leave their homes. For instance, residents of the Christian village of Ain Abel, near the border, were ordered to leave, presumably in order to allow the IDF to tighten the blockade on Bint Jbail.
Hezbollah maintains a number of regional command centers in southern Lebanon similar to that destroyed on Thursday. The organization calls them planning units. The unit in Tyre controlled a large number of 220mm rockets manufactured in Syria, which had caused most of the Israeli civilian fatalities.
The impact of the attack on Hezbollah's bombardment capabilities against Haifa and its surroundings is not yet clear. Nevertheless, Tyre will continue to be a target for the air force.
The attack against Tyre has not affected Hezbollah's ability to launch short-range rockets against northern Israel; most of the group's rockets in southern Lebanon are of the short-range variety, about 100 of which are being launched against Israel on a daily basis, with most falling in empty fields.
It is possible that Hezbollah, under constant air force pressure, will try to carry out previous threats by its leader, Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah, and launch Zelzal-1 rockets against targets south of Haifa. The missile is capable of ranges of 125 km.
Ministers at Thursday's government meeting discussed the possibility of terrorist activity aimed at Israeli and Jewish targets abroad. Hezbollah will seek authorization from Tehran for any such action, which would result in a broader Israel Air Force attack against strategic targets, which Israel has avoided thus far.
Syria continues to try to expand its resupplying effort of Hezbollah. Four Syrian trucks crossing the border into Lebanon were attacked by air Wednesday night.
Mossad, IDF disagree over damage to Hezbollah
The heads of two Israeli intelligence agencies disagree over how much the Israel Defense Forces assault has damaged Hezbollah, although both say the group has been weakened.
The Mossad intelligence agency says Hezbollah will be able to continue fighting at the current level for a long time to come, Mossad head Meir Dagan said.
However, Military Intelligence chief Amos Yadlin disagrees, seeing Hezbollah as having been severely damaged.
The IDF believes that at least 200 Hezbollah operatives have been killed since the fighting began more than two weeks ago, a military source said Friday.
Both intelligence chiefs agree that Hezbollah remains capable of command and control and still holds long-range missiles in its arsenal, they said at a security cabinet meeting Thursday.
26 Hezbollah gunmen killed by IDF in Bint Jbail clashes
By Ze'ev Schiff and Amos Harel, Haaretz Correspondents, and Agencies
Israel Defense Forces troops killed 26 Hezbollah gunmen in clashes in the southern Lebanon town of Bint Jbail. No IDF troops were hurt in the opreation, an army spokesperson said.
During the day's fighting, a joint force of Paratroopers and soldiers from the Golani Brigade seized Hezbollah equipment including five anti-tank missiles, 30 hand grenades, 41 clips and 10 bullet proof vests.
"(Israeli) forces are still there at the moment," an army spokeswoman said.
Meanwhile, Israel Air Force warplanes took out the launchers used by Hezbollah to fire a new kind of missile at the Afula area, the furthest south that the guerilla group has reached since it began battering the north of Israel more than two weeks ago.
The initial investigation revealed that the missile has a range of 90 kilometers. The northern district police said that this kind of missile had not landed in the area before. The level of damage caused by the missile impact and the size of the warhead is also unprecedented, suggesting that it could have weighed up to 100 kilograms.
Security officials are looking into the possibility that the missile could have originated in Iran, and may even be a Zelzal missile, which has a range of up to 200 kilometers. Hezbollah has moved some of its rocket and missile launchers further north inside Lebanon following IAF attacks to destroy them.
On Thursday night, IAF planes fired more than 30 missiles at suspected Hezbollah hideouts in hills and mountainous areas in southeastern Lebanon. The day before, the IAF scored a direct hit against Hezbollah's missile command center deployed in Tyre, which was responsible for firing rockets on the Haifa area.
The IDF believes that at least 200 Hezbollah operatives have been killed since the fighting began more than two weeks ago, a military source said Friday.
IAF warplanes struck three buildings in a village near the market town of Nabatiyeh in southern Lebanon as they renewed attacks on suspected Hezbollah targets Friday, killing a Jordanian citizen and a Lebanese couple and wounding nine people, including four children, Lebanese security officials said.
Israel Defense Forces troops also killed five Hezbollah operatives in the Lebanese town of Bint Jbail before dawn Friday, Israel Radio reported.
Israeli jets staged four bombing runs that left roads damaged in
southeastern Lebanon, the security officials said. No casualties were reported.
Israeli artillery pounded the border village of Arnoun on Friday. The village is outside Nabatiyeh and next to the strategic Crusader's Beaufort Castle, which has a commanding view of the border area. More than 40 shells struck the village, sending up clouds of gray smoke, witnesses said.
The security cabinet on Thursday authorized the mobilization of three divisions of reservists, "to prepare the force for possible developments," but said that they will be deployed, if necessary, only after further approval by the cabinet.
Israel launched its military blitz against Hezbollah on July 12, in response to the militants' capture of two Israeli soldiers in a cross-border attack.
Lebanon's health minister estimated Thursday that as many as 600 civilians have been killed so far, though the official toll stood at 382.
A total of 33 Israeli soldiers have died in the fighting and 19 civilians were killed in Hezbollah's unyielding rocket attacks on Israel's northern towns, the IDF said.
Direct hit against missile command center in Tyre
The IAF scored a successful direct hit Thursday against Hezbollah's missile command center deployed in Tyre, which has been primarily responsible for targeting Haifa and its surroundings. The regional command center was located on the 12th floor of a Tyre building that the IAF destroyed.
The IAF bombings continued as Israel Defense Forces artillery pounded townships in the south. According to reports from Lebanon, two women were killed in the attacks.
The western sector of south Lebanon, which was quiet until recently, was also shelled on Thursday, and residents of more villages were ordered to leave their homes. For instance, residents of the Christian village of Ain Abel, near the border, were ordered to leave, presumably in order to allow the IDF to tighten the blockade on Bint Jbail.
Hezbollah maintains a number of regional command centers in southern Lebanon similar to that destroyed on Thursday. The organization calls them planning units. The unit in Tyre controlled a large number of 220mm rockets manufactured in Syria, which had caused most of the Israeli civilian fatalities.
The impact of the attack on Hezbollah's bombardment capabilities against Haifa and its surroundings is not yet clear. Nevertheless, Tyre will continue to be a target for the air force.
The attack against Tyre has not affected Hezbollah's ability to launch short-range rockets against northern Israel; most of the group's rockets in southern Lebanon are of the short-range variety, about 100 of which are being launched against Israel on a daily basis, with most falling in empty fields.
It is possible that Hezbollah, under constant air force pressure, will try to carry out previous threats by its leader, Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah, and launch Zelzal-1 rockets against targets south of Haifa. The missile is capable of ranges of 125 km.
Ministers at Thursday's government meeting discussed the possibility of terrorist activity aimed at Israeli and Jewish targets abroad. Hezbollah will seek authorization from Tehran for any such action, which would result in a broader Israel Air Force attack against strategic targets, which Israel has avoided thus far.
Syria continues to try to expand its resupplying effort of Hezbollah. Four Syrian trucks crossing the border into Lebanon were attacked by air Wednesday night.
Mossad, IDF disagree over damage to Hezbollah
The heads of two Israeli intelligence agencies disagree over how much the Israel Defense Forces assault has damaged Hezbollah, although both say the group has been weakened.
The Mossad intelligence agency says Hezbollah will be able to continue fighting at the current level for a long time to come, Mossad head Meir Dagan said.
However, Military Intelligence chief Amos Yadlin disagrees, seeing Hezbollah as having been severely damaged.
The IDF believes that at least 200 Hezbollah operatives have been killed since the fighting began more than two weeks ago, a military source said Friday.
Both intelligence chiefs agree that Hezbollah remains capable of command and control and still holds long-range missiles in its arsenal, they said at a security cabinet meeting Thursday.
posted by shummer60 at Friday, July 28, 2006
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