LEBANON: HEZBOLLAH PARADE WEAPONS CAPTURED FROM ISRAELIS

Описание: (24 Feb 1999) Arabic/Nat

Hezbollah fighters involved in an ambush that killed three Israeli soldiers in southern Lebanon have paraded Israeli army weapons captured during the gun battle.

At a secret location close to the frontline position of Berkit Jabour, the Hezbollah fighters described how they attacked the elite Israeli commando unit.

Reporters were taken by Hezbollah on Tuesday to a mountain cave less than five kilometres (three miles) from Berkit Jabour.

Inside the cave - which serves as a base near the battlefront - fighters involved in the ambush showed reporters guns, communication equipment and clothing captured from the Israeli soldiers.

One fighter - who identified himself only as commander of the guerrilla squad - showed off a captured Israeli assault rifle, a military wireless radio, a black facial mask and a blood-soaked soldier's shirt torn by bullets.

The commander, in his mid-20s, had his left cheek covered with a blood-stained bandage - an apparent shrapnel cut sustained in battle.

He and about half a dozen guerrillas, carrying assault rifles, had covered their faces with dirt camouflage to conceal their identities.

The elated guerrilla commander explained on a map how his fighters ambushed the Israelis.

But he declined to answer questions on whether Hezbollah had advance knowledge of the Israeli infiltration.

Another fighter described the ambush.

SOUNDBITE: (Arabic)
"The distance that was between us and our enemy was no more than two to three metres. We collided with one another going deep into them. It was not a far-distance attack. (CU on the man talking) One hour before the fight, we got orders from the headquarters saying that you have to be ready to shoot, not to get ready to shoot. We did the operation and we got back safe and sound and I got hit but it was a shallow wound."
SUPER CAPTION: member of Islamic resistance

Tuesday's incident occurred near the village of Meidoun, which is 25 kilometres (15 miles) north of Israel's border.

Following the ambush, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu suggested that Syria, the main power broker in Lebanon, could stop attacks on Israeli forces but its refusal means Israel will cannot withdraw its troops from southern Lebanon.

Hezbollah says it will extend its operations in response to the Israeli occupation.

SOUNDBITE (Arabic)
"The resistance fighters with the whole Lebanese population backing them up will be ready to answer to any attack by Israel. It (Israel) will expand its attack area and we will expand the area of our reaction and confrontation."
SUPERCAPTION: Hussein Khalil, Political Advisor Of Hezbollah

The deaths of the officers from an elite Israeli commando squad is a painful blow to Israeli forces in southern Lebanon.

The paratroopers were moving north of Israel's self-styled "security zone" when they ran into the Hezbollah rebels, who opened fire at close range with automatic rifles and grenades.

The Israeli army later retaliated with helicopter gunships, air force jets and artillery support.

Israel set up the security zone in southern Lebanon in 1985 to try to protect its northern settlements from cross-border guerrilla attacks.

The zone is patrolled by some 15-hundred Israeli troops and 25-hundred members of an Israeli-allied Lebanese militia.

Hezbollah, or the Party of God, has led the fight to try to end Israel's occupation.

Twenty-four Israeli soldiers were killed in southern Lebanon last year, fueling demands in Israel for a withdrawal of its forces.

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