Guerrillas fire rockets at border zone, northern Israel
Lebanon-Israel, Military, 2/16/1998

In a marked escalation of tension in south Lebanon, guerrillas this weekend fired a volley of rockets and mortars inside Israel's occupation zone and northern Israel, wounding five Lebanese civilians.

The rare attack with Katyusha rockets late Saturday appeared to be in retaliation to Israeli shelling on Friday of the village of Habbouche in south Lebanon, in which a Lebanese man, Hassan Jamal, 30, was wounded and several houses damaged.

Security sources said dozens of mortars were fired at Israeli posts in south Lebanon and that some rockets landed on Israel's northern Galilee panhandle.

An Israeli army statement said five Lebanese civilians from the town of Chihine, inside Israel's self-declared security zone, were wounded and that one was evacuated for treatment in an Israeli hospital.

The statement added one rocket crashed near the northern Israel settlement of Kiryat Shemona, causing material damage but no injury, with Radio Orient reporting that Israelis spent the night in shelters.

Hizbullah guerrillas denied responsibility for firing Katyushas at either Israel's occupation zone or northern Israel, acknowledging only that they had shelled Israeli and SLA (South Lebanon Army) posts inside the zone with mortars.

Israel said, however, that the shelling constituted a grave violation of the April 1996 understanding, which prohibits attacks on civilians. It said it would file a complaint to a five-nation committee monitoring the understanding.

The Lebanese government also announced it had lodged a complaint with the committee over Israeli shelling of Habbouche and other violations. The monitoring committee will convene in the southern Lebanese coastal town of Naqoura on Tuesday to discuss the complaints.

Lebanese resistance men on Sunday attacked Israeli-controlled army posts in South Lebanon outside a northern Israeli town early Sunday causing damage and injuring five, the Israeli army said.

The army said that one shell fell near Kreyat Shmouna causing damage, adding that other shells fired towards Israeli army posts in South Lebanon manned by Israeli troops and pro Israeli Lahd 's militias.

Meanwhile, Lebanese resistance groups detonated an explosive charge while a Lahd militia patrol was driving in the surrounding of Kafer Hinah position. Also, the Israeli forces on Saturday continued their aggression against South Lebanon areas and the Western Bekaa. Lebanese security sources said the Israeli artillery shelling covered the towns of Arab Salem, Habboush, Kafer Rumman, Kafer Jouz Farm, the public road to Habboush al-Nabatieh, public road to Arab Salem and al-Zahrani river course where several houses were damaged. The shelling coincided with machine-gun fires against the targeted areas in South Lebanon.

The Israeli artillery positions in Wadi Aby Qamha bombarded several heights and al-Dallafa district. The Israeli bombardment damaged several houses in the towns and the electricity grids and water networks.

Previous Stories:
  Lebanese resistance escalates operations against Israeli troops   (2/12/1998)
  Israeli forces continue aggression against south Lebanon   (2/10/1998)
  Israeli soldier killed, 7 wounded as Lebanese resistance intensifies   (2/9/1998)

Please add a link on your webiste pointing to ArabicNews.com and bookmark ArabicNews.com & subscribe to our daily email news bulletin.

Search