ISRAEL: Patriot missiles in position over Safed, Israeli forces shell southern Lebanon

Record ID: 398021

  • Title: ISRAEL: Patriot missiles in position over Safed, Israeli forces shell southern Lebanon
  • Date: 17th July 2006
  • Summary: (EU) MOUNT DOV, ISRAELI BORDER WITH LEBANON, ISRAEL (JULY 16, 2006) (REUTERS) WIDE: ISRAELI TANK FIRING ARTILLET AT SOUTH LEBANON PULL IN / OUT: SMOKE BILLOWING OVER VILLAGES, AUDIO OF EXPOLOSION LONG VIEW / WIDE: OF TANKS FIRING (2 SHOTS) LONG VIEW: MORE OF SMOKE BILLOWING OVER VILLAGES WIDE: TANK DRIVING IN THE AREA WITH OTHER ARMOURED CARRIERS IN BACKGROUND WIDE: OF TAN
  • Embargoed: 1st August 2006 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Israel
  • Country: Israel
  • Topics: War / Fighting,Defence / Military
  • Reuters ID: LVA9HUHRI4WBG44EOMFH3M74MIJM
  • Story Text: Israel deployed Patriot missile batteries in Safed on Sunday (July 16) after Hizbollah's deadliest rocket strike ever on Israel that killed eight people.
    Some analysts say the attack on Haifa will spark a punishing response including a possible ground invasion of southern Lebanon, threatening to broaden a conflict some fear is spinning out of control.
    Israel has already deployed Patriot missile batteries in the northern city of Haifa to intercept rockets fired from Lebanon. Israel positioned more batteries on the outskirts of the rocket battered city of Safed on Sunday.
    More than 400 Hizbollah rockets have killed a total of 12 people in northern Israel in the past five days.
    The American made rockets had last been used in that area during the 1991 Gulf War, to protect against Scud missiles fired at Israel from Iraq and were also deployed as a precaution before the latest fighting in Iraq.
    The Patriots were most likely intended for use against longer range rockets than the Katyusha, and also as a precaution against the possibility of missiles being fired at Israel from Syria, a supporter of Hizbollah.
    Israel's campaign in Lebanon, launched after Hizbollah captured two Israeli soldiers and killed eight on Wednesday, has killed 112 people, all but four of them civilians.
    Israeli Defence Minister Amir Peretz said the deadlt attack on Haifa would "change reality" for Lebanon.
    Hours later, Israel deployed tanks and began shelling southern Lebanese villages with the aim of taking out rocket launchers.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2014. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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