| Submit your comments on this article |
| Middle East |
| Powerful blast rocks Hizbullah training camp |
| 2002-12-30 |
| A powerful blast took place Sunday in eastern Lebanon where Hizbullah fighters maintain posts, according to radio and security reports. The explosion was reported around Janta, near the city of Baalbeck. According to Lebanese security sources, the blast took place at a Hizbullah training camp. However, a Hizbullah spokesman told United Press International that "we have no information about the explosion." So many explosions around here that they can't keep track. FOLLOWUP: From Debka... The powerful blast that reverberated across eastern and central Lebanon Sunday, December 29, was caused by the explosion of a big surface missile in Hizballah hands and of Iraqi origin. Reporting this, DEBKAfile’s exclusive military and Lebanese sources reveal that the Lebanese Shiite terrorist group has recently taken delivery of a shipment of surface missiles, presumed to be medium-range, from the Iraqi army. The blast occurred at a Hizballah training camp near a village called Janta in the northeastern section of the Beqaa Valley close to the Syrian frontier. This camp is also used by the group as a testing ground for new weapons, short range missiles and explosive devices. The blast was heard at a distance of 20 km indicating a warhead of one ton at least. I'm not sure what they mean by "medium range." The FROG is considered a short-range missile. The SCUD has a range of 180 km, with the various reworks by the Iraqis having more. The BM27 heavy MRL (Uragan) has a range of 40 km, but these are referred to as missiles, indicating it probably isn't a heavy MRL, which wouldn't be carrying a one-ton warhead. It's been a long time, but I don't think the FROG would carry a warhead of that size, either... According to our sources, the missile exploded suddenly, catching the Hizballah team handling it unawares and causing a large number of casualties, as indicated by the long line of ambulances and rescue teams reported by witnesses to be racing to the blast scene from northern and central Lebanon. Among them were Syrian military rescue vehicles. The Hizballah quickly sealed off the ravaged area, allowing no one through but the rescue teams, their own operatives and Syrian officers. So now we're out of the usual "work accident" category and into the realm of spectacular, perhaps legendary, ineptitude. Perhaps its even the Hand of God, descending to flick the back of Nasrallah's turban... |
| Posted by:Steve |
| #5 Where's OSHA when you need them Dorf |
| Posted by: Anonymous 2002-12-31 07:52:46 |
| #4 Well, now. Someone is trying to play with the big boy toys. So much for that crack Hezbo missile training mentioned previously. It will be interesting to get the details on this in the next few days. |
| Posted by: tu3031 2002-12-30 21:28:26 |
| #3 Another "work related" accident. Must be great instructors at "training camp". |
| Posted by: tu3031 2002-12-30 11:09:01 |
| #2 Not sure live fire drills are an appropriate way to train suicide boomers. |
| Posted by: JAB 2002-12-30 11:08:30 |
| #1 Oops... Sorry about that, guys. But I told ya not to let Achmed "10 thumbs" Barzai do the detonators... |
| Posted by: mojo 2002-12-30 10:32:22 |