Israel kills 3 Hizbollah fighters in Lebanon

[tocqueville]

raid By Nadim Ladki
20 minutes ago

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Israeli aircraft and commandos raided a Hizbollah bastion in eastern Lebanon and killed three guerillas on Saturday in the first big attack since a truce halted Israel's 34-day war with the Shi'ite Muslim group.

Lebanese security sources said commandos in two vehicles unloaded from helicopters were on their way to attack an office of senior Hizbollah official Sheikh Mohammed Yazbek in the village of Bodai when they were spotted and intercepted.

Three Hizbollah fighters were killed and the Israeli force suffered six casualties before pulling out under the cover of fierce air strikes, the sources said.

Israeli army said the raid was aimed at disrupting the shipment of weapons to Hizbollah guerillas from Syria and Iran -- both of which deny arming the group.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060819/ts_nm/mideast_dc

[papau]

1. So Israeli IDF not yet withdrawn are attacked and defend themselves - &

Syria is shipping arms but denies it.

This is news?

[tocqueville]

3. attacked in Baalbek ?

cm'on papau. It doesn't make sense.

[tocqueville]

2. update on the raid

Hezbollah's Al-Manar TV said the Israeli commando force landed before dawn and was driving into Boudai when it was intercepted by guerrillas, who forced it to retreat under the cover of warplanes, which staged mock raids.

....................................................

Hezbollah officials on the scene said overflights from Israeli jet fighters drowned the clatter of helicopters as they flew into the foothills of the central Lebanese mountains, dropping commandos and two vehicles they used to drive into the village when the Hezbollah fighters intercepted them in a field. The commandos identified themselves as the Lebanese army, but the guerrillas grew suspicious and gunfire erupted.

Israeli helicopters fired missiles as the commandos withdrew and were flown out of the area an hour later, the Hezbollah officials said.

Witnesses reported seeing bandages and syringes at the site. They also said a bridge had been destroyed about 500 yards from the landing site. The witnesses said they believed it was destroyed by Israeli missiles.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060819/ap_on_re_mi_ea/mideast_lebanon

[KoKo]

4. Report is confusing to read. And as with everything these days

it's hard to know the truth of a "first report." Think I'll wait to decide until other reports come out from differenct sources.

[Solo_in_MD]

5. Haaretz is backing the story as well

IT matches generally with what has been written else where

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/752185.html However still no confirmation of air strikes.

[KoKo]

6. Okay...got it... this needs to be dealt with by the UN. n/t