Israeli troops raid Litani river amid clashes with Hezbollah
The Israeli military said on Tuesday its troops had conducted a days-long raid in the area of the Litani river in south Lebanon, where exchanges of fire with Hezbollah persist despite a ceasefire.
In a statement, the military said that over the past week, troops had conducted a "special operation to clear terrorist infrastructure from the Litani area and establish operational control in the area".
It said soldiers had been operating south of the Israeli-declared "yellow line" that runs around 10 kilometers north of the border and where Israeli forces continue to be stationed.
Israeli media reported that troops had gone beyond the Litani river and operated on the outskirts of the town of Zawtar al-Sharqiyah.
When asked by AFP, the Israeli military said it was unable to confirm whether troops had crossed the Litani, but it published photos from the operation showing soldiers walking along a bridge traversing a river.
Other photos published by the military showed tanks and soldiers operating along the riverbank.
"During the operation, the troops located compounds used by Hezbollah terrorists, underground tunnel routes containing large quantities of weapons, weapons storage facilities, and missile launchers," the military said, adding that it had struck more than 100 targets.
It also said troops had "struck and eliminated dozens of terrorists in close-quarters combat, alongside aerial support."
Israel and Hezbollah have been trading fire in south Lebanon despite a ceasefire in place since April 17 between Israel and Lebanon.
Lebanon's health ministry on Tuesday told AFP that Israeli strikes have killed 380 people since the ceasefire took effect.
The Israeli military says five soldiers have been killed by the fighting in south Lebanon since the start of the truce.
In a separate statement on Tuesday, the Israeli military said it had identified an "unsuccessful attempt to launch a surface-to-air missile toward an Israeli Air Force aircraft," but that no damage or injuries were caused.
According to the Israeli media report, troops crossed from the border town of Deir al-Seryan toward Zawtar al-Sharkiya, north of the river.
Hezbollah said it targeted troops near the river of Deir al-Seryan, and a Merkava tank in the border town of al-Bayyada near Naqoura.
Israeli strikes targeted Tuesday Srifa, Debaal, Dweir, Betoulay, Ras al-Ein, Kafra, Jebshit, and Srifa, in south Lebanon, and Sohmor in the east after ordering its residents to evacuate.
Troops detonated a water pumping station in Deir Mimas and houses in Bint Jbeil.
Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem vowed Tuesday that his fighters would turn the battlefield into "hell" for Israeli forces.
"We will not surrender and we will continue to defend Lebanon and its people, however long it takes and however great the sacrifices... we will not abandon the battlefield and we will turn it into hell for Israel," he said.
Source: Naharnet, Agence France Presse
| Copyright © 2012 Naharnet.com. All Rights Reserved. | https://naharnet.com/stories/en/320085 |