MIDEAST-ISRAEL/LEBANON-VEHICLE-WOUNDED Israeli clears up after fatal Hezbollah attack, threatens retaliation

Record ID: 398937

  • Title: MIDEAST-ISRAEL/LEBANON-VEHICLE-WOUNDED Israeli clears up after fatal Hezbollah attack, threatens retaliation
  • Date: 28th January 2015
  • Summary: NEAR BORDER WITH LEBANON, ISRAEL (JANUARY 28, 2015) (REUTERS) BORDER AREA BETWEEN ISRAEL AND LEBANON ISRAELI SECURITY AT SCENE MORE OF BORDER AREA ISRAELI MILITARY CAMP ISRAELI SOLDIERS VARIOUS OF VEHICLE WRECKAGE REMOVED INTO ISRAEL FORMER ISRAELI BRIGADE COMMANDER OF THE EASTERN FRONT IN SOUTH LEBANON, KOBI MAROM, TALKING ON MOBILE PHONE (SOUNDBITE) (English) FORMER ISRA
  • Embargoed: 12th February 2015 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVABRHZZIIS2JZCCL4I32D8WM7S2
  • Story Text: Israeli troops on Wednesday (January 28) evening were clearing the site where two Israeli soldiers and a Spanish peacekeeper were killed earlier in an exchange of fire between Hezbollah and Israel, one of the most violent clashes between the two sides since a 2006 war.
    Wounded soldiers were evacuated to hospital after the incident which has raised the threat of a full-blown conflict between the militant Islamist group and Israel.
    In the biggest escalation since a 2006 war, the soldiers were killed when Hezbollah fired a missile at a convoy of Israeli military vehicles on the frontier with Lebanon.
    Hezbollah said one of its brigades in the area had carried out the attack, which appeared to be in retaliation for a Jan. 18 Israeli air strike in southern Syria that killed several Hezbollah members and an Iranian general.
    Tensions in the region, where the frontiers of Israel, Lebanon and Syria meet and militant groups opposed to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad are active, have been bubbling for months but have boiled over in the past 10 days.
    The Israeli military confirmed the death of the soldiers, who were driving along a road next to the fence that marks the hilly frontier. Hospital officials said a further seven had been wounded, although none had life-threatening injuries.
    Former Israeli brigade commander of the eastern front in south Lebanon, Kobi Marom, said Israel should take revenge.
    "Israel must retaliate to keep our deterence all over the Lebanese border.
    "There is no interest from the Israeli side and the Lebanese side to escalate the situation and have third Lebanese war but there is no question in those circumstances Israel must retaliate and respond and send a clear message that if they will attack the IDF patrols or any Israeli targets along the border Israeli is going to respond," he said.
    Israeli government spokesperson, Mark Regev put the blame on Iran, which backs Hezbollah.
    "Iran through its terrorist proxy Hezbollah is directly responsible for today's attack," he said.
    "This is the same Iran that propagates terror in the region and around the world that is trying to become a nuclear threshold power. Now Israel will do what we need to do to defend our borders and to protect our people."
    The 80 km (50 mile) frontier has largely been quiet since 2006, when Hezbollah and Israel fought a 34-day war.
    Since the end of the war with Hamas militants in Gaza last year, Israel has warned of frictions on the northern border, including the possibility that Hezbollah might dig tunnels to infiltrate Israel. In recent days it has moved more troops and military equipment into the area.
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