Israel raids Palestinian base near Beirut, injures civilian in South
Lebanon, Military, 10/18/1997

Israeli warplanes rocketed Palestinian guerrillas near Beirut on Friday few hours after a civilian man was injured in south Lebanon, Lebanese security sources said.

The raiding jets targeted the base of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command in the hills above the coastal village of Naameh, about 15 kilometers south of the Lebanese capital Beirut.

Two jet fighters fired six air-to-surface missiles in three sorties over the area. The aircraft also made several surveillance runs. There were no casualties from the raid, said the sources, who requested anonymity.

The base is believed to store weapons and equipment for the small, Syrian-backed group.

Lebanese army anti-aircraft batteries stationed along the coastline opened fire on the jets, but no hits were reported.

The PFLP-GC, which is led by Ahmed Jibril, is opposed to the Middle East peace process. The base at Naameh is a frequent target of Israel's air force. The last raid on Naameh was on August 25.

Earlier in the day, a truck driver was wounded in south Lebanon when a shell
fired from the Israeli-occupied sector struck near the front-line town of Mashghara in the southern Bekaa Valley.

The 35-year-old man was wounded in the head by shrapnel and taken to a nearby hospital for treatment, the sources said.

Israel occupies a border strip in the south since 1985. Its troops are engaged in a war of attrition with Shiite guerrillas seeking to drive them out.

Previous Stories:
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  Remains of Israeli tank recovered   (10/17/1997)
  Lahd says Israeli withdrawal could cause SLA troops to join Hizbullah   (10/14/1997)

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