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| Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
| All fingers pointed at Hezbollah in Lebanon helicopter shooting |
| 2008-08-30 |
| Beirut- There was unanimity Friday that Hezbollah was behind the gunfire attack on a Lebanese army helicopter that killed an officer over Sojod hills in south Lebanon yesterday but the group denied any involvement. There were conflicting reports about the incident which took place around noon Thursday. Among the worst reports was that the helicopter was attacked while it was still on ground and that the assailants, after killing 1st Lt. Samer Hanna, assaulted another officer. The semi-official report, however, said that the helicopter came under gunfire upon take off from a hilltop. A Lebanese army communique, however, has said that a Lebanese army helicopter came under gunfire from unidentified "armed members" killing Hanna. The pro Hezbollah daily As Safir gave another version on Friday. It cited poor coordination between Hezbollah and the Lebanese army regarding the helicopter overflight and the tension among Hezbollah ranks as a result of Israeli threats and intensified Israeli overflights over the past few days as reasons for the confusion that led to the helicopter shooting. The independent An Nahar newspaper, on the other hand, quoted well-informed sources as saying that the helicopter was not shot down but was forced to make an emergency landing after it was hit by gunfire from gunmen and that the co-pilot landed the chopper at a rugged terrain between Sojod and Armati. The Central News Agency (CNA), for its part, reported that the gunmen opened fire at the helicopter only 10 meters away, causing an emergency landing. It added that three army helicopters dispatched to the area to assist the chopper that was hit were denied entry and that the crew was informed that no one can approach the area without Hezbollah permission. CNA quoted Hezbollah sources as saying the group knows nothing about the shooting. Another report said that the helicopter came under fire as it flew over Sojod and that after making an emergency landing it came under gunfire, killing Hanna. A different version of the story was put this way: After the helicopter landed in Sojod as part of a routine mission and as it attempted to take off again it came under gunfire, killing Hanna. Al Manar television, mouthpiece of Hezbollah, reported that a helicopter came under gunfire from "unidentified" gunmen. A joint committee from the Lebanese army and Hezbollah opened an investigation into the incident. |
| Posted by:Fred |