Russian minister warns of major Israeli operation

A vast Israeli military operation against Hizbullah positions in Lebanon is being prepared, Russian Foreign Minister Yevgeny Primakov warned Jordanian officials yesterday, AFP reported. Al-Nahar also said the minister's aid, Victor Posovaliov, secretly visited Lebanon for a few hours yesterday and met with several Hizbullah leaders.

Meanwhile, Israel is continuing its attacks on the South since yesterday. Dozens of fake raids extended to Sidon opernight, and Israeli occupation forces on October 28 afternoon attacked areas adjacent to occupied south Lebanon.

The confrontations led to the death of one officer and two soldiers from the Israeli army.

Security sources said the Israeli artillery from their position in al Zaffata shelled al Tuffah district hills and heights al Rafee mountain and the woods of Sujud and al Rayhan. The shelling was accompanied by heavy machine-gun fire against areas opposite the Zaffata position.

Israeli forces also shelled the Litani riverbed, Qa'qayet al Jisr, al Hjeir valley, the outskirts of Froun and al Ghandoureya towns, western Zouter and eastern Zouter, as well as al Jabbour and Abou Rashed heights in the western Bekaa.

Israeli warplanes carried out provocative mock raids against Nabatieh and al Tuffah district areas.

In retaliation, the Lebanese national resistance bombarded with mortars the occupation positions in al Shal'a hill. The resistance group of Saleh Harb also machine-gunned and rocketed an Israeli force in al Qantara position.

A statement by the Lebanese resistance said that the resistance foiled all the Israeli helicopters' landing attempts which aimed at moving the Israeli soldiers wounded during clashes with resistance men in al Hajeir valley.

The statement stressed that groups of resistance men pounded the area of Israeli operations killing or wounding at least four Israeli soldiers.