 |
 |
 |
|
|
Israeli reservists return from fighting in Lebanon to northern Israel. (AP)
|
|
|
|
|
|
| By israelinsider staff and partners August 2, 2006 |
|
| |
Israeli troops captured five Hezbollah guerrillas and killed at least 10 in a commando raid in Lebanon, Israel's army chief said.
In the attack on the ancient city of Baalbek, about 80 miles north of Israel, commandos ferried in by helicopters fought Hezbollah guerrillas inside and around a Hezbollah-run hospital under cover of heavy airstrikes, witnesses said.
Israel's army chief, Lt. Gen. Dan Halutz, said troops captured five Hezbollah guerrillas and killed at least 10 in the raid. He also said that since the start of fighting three weeks ago, Israel has killed more than 300 Hezbollah fighters.
Halutz did not identify the guerrillas who were captured early Wednesday.
Reports indicated that the operation began with at least six rapid air strikes, after which IAF helicopters landed ground forces in the city's western sector. A Lebanese army outpost in the town of Shlifa, west of Baalbek, was also attacked, ynetnews reported.
Asked in an Associated Press interview who was captured in the raid, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said "tasty fishes" were among those seized.
Hezbollah denied those captured belonged to the guerrilla group.
"Those who were taken prisoner are citizens. It will not be long before the (Israeli) enemy will discover that they are ordinary citizens," Hezbollah said in a statement broadcast on its Al-Manar television.
Lebanese security officials said at least five Lebanese were captured by Israeli troops, but had no immediate information on whether they were Hezbollah fighters.
Witnesses said Israeli forces partially destroyed the Dar al-Hikma hospital in Baalbek, where chief Hezbollah spokesman Hussein Rahal said fierce fighting raged for more than one hour.
Hezbollah used automatic rifles and rocket-propelled grenades and fought the commandos inside the hospital, while Israeli jets attacked the surrounding guerrilla force with missiles, Rahal said.
Speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation, residents said the Dar al-Hikma hospital is financed by an Iranian charity that is close to Hezbollah and run by people close to the group.
Olmert said the target of the raid was not functioning as a hospital.
"Israel does not raid hospitals," he said. "There are no patients there and there is no hospital. This is a base of the Hezbollah, of the Hezbollah in disguise."
Baalbek, an ancient city with spectacular Roman ruins, was a former Syrian army headquarters and included the barracks of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards when they trained Hezbollah guerrillas there in the 1980s.
The AP contrbuted to this report.
|
|
 
|
|
|
|
Click on the blue headline to read a Talkback comment and respond to it. Click on the  icon to send a private email to the talkback writer. The icon appears only if the writer has decided to be contacted. If no popup window appears, please make sure your popup blocker allows israelinsider.com.
|
|
| |
|
|
