Israeli commandos' attack on Amal base near Sidon ends in failure
Lebanon, Military, 9/5/1997

In apparent revenge for last week's Amal attack in which five Israeli soldiers were killed, Israeli commandos landed in a village south of Sidon shortly after midnight and engaged resistance fighters in a fierce battle for more than an hour.

The raid, the deepest inside Lebanon in years, came just over nine hours after three Hamas suicide bombers devastated a shopping mall in West Jerusalem killing themselves and four Israelis and injuring scores more. Witnesses and security sources said this morning's long-range Israeli assault began wen two helicopters landed commandos in al-Ansariyeh, an Amal stronghold, where they engaged fighters of speaker Nabih Berri's movement which has resistance attacks on the occupied zone.

Soon after, two gunshots began strafing and rocketing the nearby villages of Adloun and Saksakieh, which are also known Amal strongholds.

Lebanese army troops unleashed a heavy barrage of anti-aircraft fire at the attacking aircraft and four other gunshots that were hovering overhead to provide cover. No hits were reported.

Hizbullah quickly rushed fighters in to help their Amal allies.

In the August 28 clash in Wadi al Houjeir, near Qantara, Amal fighters ambushed a 20 man patrol of the Israel defense force's elite Golani Brigade. In the heavy fighting that ensued with Hizbullah joining in, the Israeli patrol was cut off. Israeli gunshots and artillery unleashed a barrage to cover their retreat, but the heavy firing set scrub land ablaze. Five of the Israelis perished in the flames with at least six wounded.

Israel admitted that eleven Israelis were killed in today's fighting (some sources from Hizbullah said that more than fifteen Israelis were killed, and more than twenty-two injured) while four members of Amal were killed.

Previous Stories:
  Dead Shiite fighters remains found   (9/1/1997)
  Four Israelis burn to death in fierce clash   (8/29/1997)

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