Israel attacks Syrian positions in Lebanon

Geschrieben von Mr. Burns am 01. Juli 2001 22:04:29:

BAALBEK, Lebanon (CNN) -- Israeli warplanes struck Syrian
radar positions in Lebanon Sunday, injuring at least three
Syrian soldiers and at least one Lebanese soldier.

Lebanese officials said the Syrian position returned fire with
anti-aircraft missiles, but the Israeli Army reported all its
planes returned safely to base.

The Israeli Army said the strike was responding to the injury of two
Israeli soldiers Friday in a mortar attack near the Shebaa Farms area
on the border with Lebanon in northern Israel that the Israel Defense
Forces (IDF) blames on Hezbollah guerrillas.

The Israeli attack, which destroyed two radar positions, took place in
eastern Lebanon's Bekaa Valley, where many Syrian troops are deployed.

Israel believes that Hezbollah activities are carried out with the support
of the Syrians, who have armed forces stationed in Lebanon.

IDF warned in a statement that it would respond with "all available means"
to Hezbollah attacks to protect Israeli civilians and soldiers on the northern
border.

Israeli Defense Minister Binyamin Ben Eliezer said Sunday the "murderous
activity occurs with the knowledge and under the eyes of Syria."

He called upon Lebanon to deploy its army along the border.

In a separate action, two Palestinians were killed in a shootout
with Israeli soldiers Sunday near the West Bank town of Jenin,
Israeli Army officials told CNN.

The IDF said the Palestinians opened fire on the soldiers when they
approached them on the road leading to two Israeli settlements. In
the ensuing fire fight two Palestinians were killed.

The IDF said explosives were found with the bodies of the two men and
that it believes the two were attempting to plant the explosives on the road
leading to two Israeli settlements outside of Jenin.

The United States called for "maximum restraint" after Sunday's airstrikes.
"We have been in touch with all the parties urging all sides to exercise
maximum restraint," a State Department official told CNN. "We want all
parties to avoid provocative actions. We regret the casualties."

Hezbollah has launched sporadic raids on Israeli troops in Shebaa over the
past year, claiming Israel's military withdrawal from southern Lebanon last
May was incomplete without the return of Shebaa to Lebanon.

The United Nations rejects this claim, asserting that Shebaa is Syrian
territory and therefore a matter for the Israelis and the Syrians, not the
Lebanese.

Staffan De Mistura, U.N. representative to South Lebanon, said the
developments were destabilizing to the region.

"For the first time, we are getting into a tit-for-tat syndrome," he said.
"Everybody is playing with fire here. And we must put water on fire.
Nobody can win this situation, everybody has been losing during the last 48
hours -- victims and lives -- and there is no military solution to this."


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