Lebanese prisoners in al-Khayyam see their families for the first time
Lebanon-Israel, Local, 7/9/1998

Lebanese security sources said heavy artillery bombardment coincided with mopping up operations using heavy machine-gun fire in several areas adjacent to the occupied part of south Lebanon and its western Bekaa.

The bombardment, the sources added, targeted areas surrounding the occupation area to prevent possible Lebanese resistance attacks.

Lebanese resistance fighters attacked on Wednesday morning the Israeli occupation position in Balat, situated in the occupied part of south Lebanon. According to a statement by Lebanese resistance sources, the resistance fighters inflicted casualties on the Israeli forces.

Meanwhile, families of Lebanese detainees and prisoners at al-Khayyam camp in occupied south Lebanon today visited their children and relatives in the camp under the supervision of the International Red Cross. This is the first visit to al-Khayyam camp following the recent exchange of Lebanese prisoners and bodies of resistance fighters for the remains of Israeli soldiers.

Such visits were suspended after the failed Israeli military operation in the Lebanese town of al-Ansareyah on September 5, 1997.

Also, the April Understanding monitoring committee which provides for not launching any attacks targeting civilians and populated areas (and comprises Syria, Lebanon, Israel, the US and France) considered one Lebanese and three Israeli complaints of violations.

In a statement on behalf of the monitoring committee's chairman, US State Department spokeman James Rubin said yesterday that the group upheld all the complaints, although the violations were "clearly unintentional." The statement added that "Combatants on both sides appear to have made efforts to comply with the Understanding."

Previous Stories:
  Israel continues shelling against south Lebanon   (7/7/1998)
  Israel detains two in south Lebanon   (3/26/1998)
  Lebanese enjoy reunion   (12/22/1997)

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