Israeli air raids on guerrilla bases after two soldiers wounded
Lebanon, Military, 10/23/1997

Israeli warplanes on Wednesday raided suspected guerrilla bases in southern Lebanon, a day after two Israeli soldiers were wounded in a carefully-planned guerrilla ambush, security sources said.

Within 20 minutes, Israeli jets fired at least six air-to-surface missiles at positions of the Hizbullah group on a mountainous area in Iqlim al-Tuffah, or Apple Province, an area facing an Israeli-occupied enclave in southern Lebanon, the sources said.

Lebanese army anti-aircraft guns fired at the raiding jets, but no hits were reported. A Hizbullah official, who requested anonymity, said guerrillas fired surface-to-air missiles at the jets, but missed them.

There were no casualties from the air raids, which came a day after Hizbullah wounded two Israeli soldiers in an ambush at an Israeli base in Beaufort castle in the occupied border strip. An Israeli armored convoy traveling along a track beside the castle came under attack Tuesday by the fighters, who fired around a dozen anti-tank missiles at the troops and the walls of the castle.

The wounded Israelis were evacuated by helicopter. Israeli artillery fired 60 shells at the surrounding area following the attack. No casualties were reported.

In the October 22 Israeli raids against the al Tuffah district area, security sources said Israeli air-to-land rockets hit Eqmata farm and Soujod area, causing enormous holes and fires. Human and material losses were not known, the sources added.

Israeli occupation forces continued to attack areas adjacent to the occupied South Lebanon and western Bekaa. Sources said the shelling was concentrated on the central sector of occupied South Lebanon, al Tuffah district, and the western Bekaa.

The Israeli artillery shelled al Salouqi valley and the outskirts of Majdal Sulum, Kharbet Sulum and Qibrikha towns, al Maramel heights and Berket al Jabbour.

Israeli troops machine-gunned the outskirts of the towns of Tolin, Qibrikha, Sharqa, Barasheet, Hadath and al Qantara.

Later in the afternoon the Israeli occupation artillery in al Shareiqi, al Ahmadeya and Tomat Niha bombarded Mashgharah town, Midon Tomat Niha, Ein Tina, Berket al Jabbour and Abou Rashed hills.

The Lebanese national resistance attacked a Lahd militia gathering in Tomat Niha positions with rockets and machine guns scoring direct hits among the position elements.

These military developments were accompanied by the Israeli president Ezer Weizman¹s warning, which is the second Israeli warning this week after minister of defense Yizthak Mordechai's . Weizman said that Israel is able to find a solution to the problem and that it should intensify the fighting in South Lebanon.

Previous Stories:
  Israel hits Naameh again   (10/21/1997)
  Israeli soldier killed, two wounded in south Lebanon   (10/20/1997)
  Remains of Israeli tank recovered   (10/17/1997)

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