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Israeli troops fire on Hizbollah at Lebanon border

Posted on: Thursday, 30 June 2005, 11:55 CDT

By Megan Goldin

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli troops shot at LebaneseHizbollah guerrillas in a disputed border zone on Thursday, aday after an attack that killed an Israeli officer in the worstviolence there for six months.

The Israeli army said soldiers shot and possibly killed atleast one guerrilla during a firefight with Hizbollah gunmennear an army post in Israeli-controlled territory in theflashpoint Shebaa Farms area on the border with Lebanon.

A Hizbollah spokesman in Beirut said the Shi'ite Muslimgroup's forces did not respond to the Israeli fire.

Israeli troops patrolling in the Shebaa Farms area clashedwith at least two guerrillas who had not returned to Lebaneseterritory on Wednesday after an attack in which their unit hadkilled an Israeli officer, an army spokeswoman said.

"This morning we identified several members of theHizbollah cell near the army post. We don't yet know how manypeople we hit," said army spokeswoman Major Sharon Feingold,adding that the incident took place in Israeli-controlledterritory.

Israeli military sources added that it appeared that oneguerrilla was killed and the body of another, killed infighting on Wednesday, was found in the brush near the armybase.

In Beirut, a Hizbollah spokesman said: "It was Israeli firedirected at the Lebanese territories. There was no exchange offire, we did not fire back."

Hizbollah was instrumental in ending Israel's 22-yearoccupation of southern Lebanon in 2000. The two foes haveclashed sporadically in the Shebaa Farms area since then.

The United Nations says Israel's withdrawal from Lebanon iscomplete and Shebaa Farms is Israeli-occupied Syrian land.Lebanon and Syria say the area is still occupied Lebanese soil.

A U.N. resolution called last year for Syria to withdrawfrom Lebanon and Hizbollah to disarm. Syrian troops pulled outin April under Lebanese and international pressure but theguerrilla group vowed not to lay down its weapons.

Israeli military officials said they believed Hizbollah,which is backed by Syria and Iran, carried out the attack toflex its muscles after Lebanese elections returned ananti-Syrian majority to parliament for the first time since the1975-1990 civil war.

Residents of southern Lebanon said Israeli warplanesdropped leaflets overnight addressed to the Lebanese people andgovernment.

"Hizbollah, known for serving foreign interests, has againcarried out terrorist acts inside Israel to trigger a responsethat will serve its terrorist existence," they read.

"Such irresponsible acts could bring destruction and takeLebanon back to the years of horror."

Source: REUTERS

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