- Title: ISRAEL: Israeli offensive continues in Lebanon for 12th day
- Date: 24th July 2006
- Summary: (W3) NITZANIM, ISRAEL (JULY 24, 2006) (REUTERS) WIDE OF TENTS ON BEACH AND ISRAELI FLAGS FLYING CHILDREN PLAYING WITH TOYS NEAR TENT ON BEACH WIDE OF PEOPLE INSIDE OF LARGE TENT, SOME LYING ON MATTRESSES MAN SLEEPING ON FOAM MATTRESS GIRL SLEEPING ON FOAM MATTRESS ON GROUND WIDE OF PEOPLE LYING ON MATS AND MATTRESSES ON GROUND WIDE OF PEOPLE IN LARGE TENT AND FANS BLOWING
- Embargoed: 8th August 2006 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Israel
- Country: Israel
- Topics: War / Fighting
- Reuters ID: LVA1LVF7I8AS3RGOG3KFRFDBODW
- Story Text: Israeli forces battled Hizbollah fighters armed with anti-tank rockets near a Lebanese border village on Monday (July 24) and Al Jazeera television said two soldier had been killed.
An army spokesman said nine Israeli soldiers were lightly wounded in heavy fighting around the Maroun al-Ras village. There was no immediate word from the army about any troops killed.
A military official said there had been heavy fighting inside Lebanon since early morning.
Al Jazeera's correspondent said five Israeli tanks had been destroyed in the fighting.
The army said the troops were carrying out operations against Hizbollah positions near the Israel-Lebanon border.
Israeli army chief Dan Halutz told Israel Radio in an interview that Hizbollah guerrillas from around the region had concentrated in the town of Bint Jbeil, north of Maroun al-Ras.
Israeli military officials described Bint Jbeil as a major Hizbollah stronghold in southern Lebanon.
Israeli media reported the Israeli forces were on the outskirts of the town.
The Maroun al-Ras area, just across the Lebanese border, has been the scene of heavy clashes in recent days.
The conflict began after two Israeli soldiers were captured and eight killed by Hizbollah guerrillas in a cross-border raid on July 12.
"You can see, you can tell that they have been preparing for this for many years. They have builts posts, there have been tunnels, they have built bunkers, posts. We have have found munitions, weapons, anti-tank missiles, some Katushaya launchers," Israeli Army Spokesman Brigadier General Ido Nehustan said about the operation.
"And we believe that we have hit quite a number of terrorists," he added.
Some 370 people in Lebanon have been killed mostly from Israeli aerial bombardments against Hizbollah positions and some civilian installations. Thirty seven Israelis have been killed.
Meanwhile also on Monday An Israeli combat helicopter crashed in northern Israel , causing two casualties, the army said.
The army did not say whether the two were dead or wounded. Al Arabiya television said two soldiers were killed and several were wounded in the crash.
Israel Radio said the Apache helicopter hit a power line near the border. It was on its way into Lebanon at the time.
It was the third Apache to crash since the beginning of Israel's military offensive in Lebanon.
Some residents of Israel's northern towns and cities have fled to the southern city of Nitzanim and have taken shelter in a tent city because of fears of more Hizbollah rocket attacks.
Rockets fired by Hizbollah guerrillas in Lebanon landed in Haifa and across northern Israel on Monday, wounding at least four people, rescue services said.
Three people were wounded in the northern Israeli town of Tiberias, where eight rockets landed, local police said.
At least one person was wounded in the Israeli border village of Shlomi.
Rockets also landed in Nahariya but no casualties were reported. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None