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Israel Fires Back Into Lebanon
HT to Gateway PunditTaibe, Lebanon - Israel retaliated to the three rockets fired by unidentified militants from South Lebanon by firing five shells into Lebanese territory. Palestinian militants are suspected of instigating the attacks. The shelling came moments after two rockets slammed into northern Israel from Lebanon without causing any casualties, in the first such fire since last summer's conflict with Hezbollah. Israeli troops fired five shells at south Lebanon while the army was searching for the guerrillas who fired rockets on northern Israel, Lebanese security forces said. Five shells slammed on the mountainous areas of Birkat Naqqar and Jabal Saddaneh near the town of Shebaa in the eastern sector of the border with Israel, they said. There were no reports of casualties. Three Katyusha rockets exploded near the northern Israeli border town of Kiryat Shmona. There were no casualties, but roads and vehicles were damaged. Lebanese troops carried out patrols and erected checkpoints in search of a civilian vehicle from where the rockets were apparently fired into northern Israel, they said. Lebanese troops were seen cordoning off an area between the villages of Adaysseh and Taibe, in the central sector of the border zone, where a rocket was apparently left behind by the guerrillas. Israeli and Lebanese security sources said they believed a Palestinian group had fired the rockets. Israel said it would not "succumb to provocation". The Lebanese group Hezbollah has denied any involvement in the attack. No-one has yet claimed responsibility for it. It is the first time Israel has come under such an attack from Lebanon since last year's conflict with Hezbollah. The rockets exploded near the northern town of Kiryat Shemona, hard hit during last summer's war, when almost 4,000 rockets were fired at the occupied territories. The mayor of the town, Haim Barbivai, called for a tough response from the Israeli forces. 'Not drawn in' The rockets came from the Lebanese village of Taibeh, 4km (2.5 miles) from the border with Israel, Lebanese television station LBC reported. One hit a factory, the other hit a car. A Hezbollah spokesman in Beirut told Reuters news agency his group was not involved in the attack, saying: "We had nothing to do with this." The incident came as Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert arrived in New York for a three-day visit to the US. He had been informed of the attack. An Israeli official travelling with Mr Olmert said: "It seems that it was Palestinians, not Hezbollah." Israel believed Palestinians were trying to trigger a military response but it would "not be drawn in", the official said. Posted by: Frank G 2007-06-17 |
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