Lebanese fighters attack Israeli troops
Lebanon-Israel, Military, 3/13/1998

Israeli forces on Thursday shelled with heavy artillery the outskirts of the towns of Majdal Zoun, Zabqin, and al-Mansouri. Information form south Lebanon said Israeli warplanes also flew over the area.

In the afternoon, the Israeli troops attacked areas adjacent to the occupied part of south Lebanon, foremost al-Tuffah district.

Lebanese resistance fighters fired back rockets and mortars on Israeli positions inside an Israeli-occupied zone in south Lebanon Thursday. There were no casualties, security sources said. They said Lebanese fighters launched several Katyusha rockets at Israeli posts, and said that a few crashed near the international border with Israel. The fighters also fired dozens of mortars inside the area.

The sources said the Katyushas were fired from the village of Yater, facing the occupied territory. However, no group claimed responsibility for the attack, the first in several months. Hizbullah guerrillas have in the past launched Katyushas on Israeli positions inside the zone, and frequently beyond the border, landing in northern Israel.

Lebanese security sources said Israeli positions in al-Zafata and al-Esheieh shelled al-Rafi mount, Aqmata farm, al-Taseh river bed, Lweiza, Mleita, the woods of Sujoud and al-Raihan and the Litani riverbed. The sources said the shelling coincided with machine-gun fire and intensive sorties at medium altitude.

Israeli forces on Thursday also undertook a vast detention campaign in the villages of al-Odeiseh, al-Teba, Kafer Villa, and Markaba in the occupied part of south Lebanon.

The sources said the occupation forces forced several young men to join Antione Lahd's Israeli-allied South Lebanon Army.

Also on Thursday, the five-nation monitoring committee ended its meeting in south Lebanon with a call for the combating parties to avoid hitting civilians.

The committee was investigating five complaints, three lodged by Israel and two by Lebanon, over alleged violations of an April 1996 truce agreement which ended an Israeli bombing campaign against guerrillas in south Lebanon.

The agreement forbids attacks on civilians on both sides of the border.

The monitoring committee issued a statement at the end of the meeting reminding Lebanese guerrillas and Israeli troops to stick to the stipulations of the U.S.-brokered agreement.

It also urged them to bring evidence to support their complaints during future meetings.

Previous Stories:
  Fighting continues in south Lebanon, Two Israelis wounded   (3/12/1998)
  Lebanese child wounded in Israeli shelling   (3/7/1998)
  Israel bombs guerrilla stronghold after attacks, civilian wounded   (3/4/1998)

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