January Friday 14-2000:

Introduction

The "Israeli" occupation forces and their proxy militia released twenty seven Lebanese hostages who were held in the notorious Khiam detention center and in a jail inside "Israel". In its turn, Hizbullah released two "Israeli" agents it captured from inside the occupied zone.

Meanwhile, the "Israeli" occupying troops withdrew from Kfar Houna Triangle outpost before an enemy engineering force dynamited the post. The occupation forces positioned themselves in a new outpost on one of the Rihan hilltops around four kilometers from the old outpost.

Freedom at last for 25 Khiam prisoners
Years of incarceration over as detainees return to heroes’ welcome…(1)
Twenty-seven Lebanese detainees were released by "Israel" and South Lebanon Army* militiamen on Thursday in what an SLA statement described as an “act of goodwill” on the occasion of New Year’s and Eid al-Fitr.
A Hizbullah official in Beirut said the party would free two SLA prisoners on Friday who were seized six months ago in the south in return for Thursday’s releases.
Hizbullah was expected to release the two SLA militiamen on Thursday but postponed the event to Friday because of “complications and delays,” according to the official, who did not elaborate.
While 22 men and three women were released from the Khiam detention center, only seven male detainees were transported by vehicles belonging to the International Committee of the Red Cross to the Kfar Tibnite-Nabatieh crossing, where they were greeted by officials and relatives.
The remaining 18 detainees preferred to remain in their villages inside the occupation zone, where their families still reside.
Henri Fournier, the ICRC’s chief delegate in Lebanon, accompanied the seven to the Kfar Tibnite crossing at 11.30am.
Hundreds of cheering relatives and friends were on hand to greet the detainees, some of whom had spent up to 14 years in detention. Hizbullah and Amal flags were everywhere, while a group of women carried banners in English attributing the release of the detainees to successful Hizbullah operations in the south.
An old woman overcome by emotion screamed as she rushed to embrace a relative. The sister of Mustafa Arabiyye, who spent nine years in Khiam without trial, fainted as she embraced her long-lost brother.
As soon as the released detainees descended from the ICRC vehicles, overjoyed relatives carried them on their shoulders and repeated religious slogans.
Hussein Awad, 35, who spent five years in Khiam, said he could not describe the joy he felt upon regaining his freedom.
“I just hope my other brothers in detention will soon feel the happiness I have in seeing my loved ones again,” he said.
“Our great joy will only be complete when we win the freedom of the rest of the prisoners,”
said Izzat Yassin, who spent six years in Khiam on suspicion of aiding resistance fighters.
Yassin said that many detainees at Khiam were suffering from chronic diseases and were constantly being tortured by the SLA militiamen who man the detention center.
Mohammed Qatbay, who spent three years in Khiam, could barely walk and was physically supported by relatives.
Qatbay, who appears much older than his 65 years, spoke of the harsh torture he endured in detention, saying he was not spared because of his age.
He called on the government to help him find a place to live, particularly after occupation forces bulldozed his house in the occupied village of Arnoun.
Nabatieh MP Mohammed Raad, the head of Hizbullah’s politburo, held a news conference prior to the prisoner release to announce the names of the detainees slated for freedom.
Raad said that the release of Lebanese detainees from "Israeli" prisons was a priority in the party’s work. “Although the issue is quite complicated, Hizbullah has taken it upon itself to follow the detainees issue closely,” Raad said.
He added that 10 of the 25 detainees released from Khiam were Hizbullah men, while the rest belonged to either Amal or the Syrian Social Nationalist Party, which also had representatives at the Kfar Tibnite crossing.
The release of the 25 proceeded smoothly despite renewed fighting in the south.

Later on Thursday, at the Kfar Falous crossing point, parents, relatives and friends joyously welcomed Ismail Mohammed Zein, 30, and Mohammed Qamas, 31, two detainees who were held by "Israel" for 13 years.
Zein and Qamas, who were released from the prison in Ashkelon, are from Qabrikha, Tyre. They were imprisoned on June 16, 1987 after being wounded during a resistance operation against an "Israeli" patrol.
At 4.30pm, they arrived in two ICRC cars, also accompanied by Fournier.
Hizbullah also extended a warm welcome to the two prisoners in Kfar Falous, where security measures were overseen by the Lebanese Army.
Sheikh Nabil Qaouk, Hizbullah’s commander in the south, waited for them 500 meters from the army barrier.
“We congratulate the nation for releasing the heroes of Lebanon and the resistance,” he said. “This achievement was realized by Hizbullah in cooperation with humanitarian organizations, particularly the International Red Cross.”
Qaouk said he welcomed future mediation by the Red Cross or other international relief agencies wishing to assist with the release of hostages.
A weary but elated Qamas told the welcoming delegation about his 13 years in prison, in which he spent time in three different penitentiaries. His thoughts, he said, remain with those who were left behind.
“Many Lebanese and Palestinian detainees, some of whom are sick and injured, are still in Ashkelon, where we were moved after the 13-year sentence ended,” he said. “We call on all nations to support our cause to fight the enemy.”
Zein ­ who was also detained in several prisons ­ agreed with Qamas about the spirit of the resistance.
“I call on everybody to exert efforts to release prisoners whether they are Lebanese, Palestinian or Syrian,” he said.
During his morning news conference in Nabatieh, Raad said the two SLA militiamen to be released were Najm Elias Habib and Assad Termos.
Hizbullah intends to hand the SLA men over to their families, while it will be up to the government to decide their fate.
“They’re prisoners of war and we’re not responsible for what happens to them after we set them free,” the Beirut-based Hizbullah official said.
About 120 detainees remain in Khiam, some of whom have been held for as long as 10 years without trial. Fourteen Lebanese also remain in "Israel" as bargaining chips for future negotiations on "Israeli" soldiers who are missing in action.

One last stop before home…(2)
Ali Abdullah Saad, 40, was one of 27 detainees released on Thursday. But unlike his comrades who went home, he was sent straight to Hammoud Hospital in Sidon with serious health problems. Saad, from the occupied village of Qsair near Marjeyoun, was diagnosed with a broken hip and a stomach ulcer which he developed during his almost 13-month detention at Khiam.
Saad was greeted by his sister upon being returned to freedom. His wife and four children were unable to travel and remained in their native village.
It was the third time that he had been detained by "Israeli" forces or their South Lebanon Army allies. The first time was in 1986, when he was imprisoned in Khiam for a year. Earlier in the 1990s, he said he was detained for three months and remained free until he was picked up again in December 1998.

Free at last…(3)
Of the 27 detainees released on Thursday, 18 preferred to remain in their villages inside the occupation zone. These include:

Karam Musa Khalil Mustafa, 29, from Houla, arrested on March 10, 1997
Said Mohammed Ali Khalil Musa, 43, from Blida, arrested on Oct. 29, 1996
Mohsen Mustafa Ali Qaswan, 30, from Taibeh, arrested on April 22, 1998
Fayyad Mahmoud Fayyad Issa, from Ramieh, arrested on Aug. 10, 1998
Saniyya Nayef Karim Abu Dalla, 29, from Zalloutiye, arrested on Nov. 3, 1998
Zeina Abed Mohammed Qteish, 21, from Houla, arrested on May 7, 1999
Abbas Ali Salim Sakina, 36, from Blat, arrested on Dec. 16, 1997
Bilal Ali Mohammed Nabaa, 31, from Shibaa, arrested on April 15, 1998
Hussein Ali Asaad Rammal, 50, from Aadaisse, arrested on Feb. 23, 1998
Mariam Ali Jawad Faqih, 21, from Rob Thlathine, arrested on Sept. 10, 1999
Ibrahim Ahmad Hammoud Sheet, 42, from Kfar Kila, arrested on Dec. 2, 1997
Kheir Hassan Sattam Abdullah, 27, from Khiam, arrested on Sept. 7, 1997
Mohammed Qasem Ali Hamdan, 34, from Shibaa, arrested on Feb. 15, 1998
Sami Youssef Mohammed Ghaour, 33, from Hasbaya, arrested on March 18, 1999
Mohammed Kamel Abdel-Karim Younes, 32, from Markaba, arrested on June 24, 1999
Hassan Nahim Ali Haribi, 20, from Zawtar Gharbieh, arrested on Sept. 3, 1997
Hussein Hassan Awada Alyan, 28, from Bayada, arrested on Nov. 2, 1998
Nabih Ali Abdullah, 45, from Aitaroun, arrested on May 2, 1999

The nine who crossed from the zone into government territory are:

Hussein Awad Ali Awad, 34, from Houla, arrested on Feb. 21, 1995
Mustafa Ali Hammoud Arabiyye, 36, from Sarafand, arrested on Jan. 8, 1991
Izzat Ibrahim Khalil Yassin, 35, from Houla, arrested on Sept. 13, 1994
Mohammed Salim Ahmad Qatbay, 65, from Arnoun, arrested in Oct. 2, 1997
Hassan Youssef Khalil Bazzi, 33, from Bint Jbeil, arrested on April 1, 1996
Abdel-Rahman Mahmoud Mohammed Abboud, 39, from Houla arrested on Aug. 2, 1994
Ali Abdullah Mohammed Saad, 40, from Qsair, arrested on Dec. 24, 1998
Qassem Qamas, 31, from Qabrikha, arrested on June 16, 1987
Ismail Zein, 30, from Qabrikha, arrested on June 16, 1987

"Israeli" agents withdraw from Kfar Houna outpost…(4)
The "Israelis" have once more tightened the northern perimeters of the occupation zone by pulling back the SLA militia from the Kfar Houne outpost to a new frontline 4 kilometers further south at Aramta.
The isolated outpost, located 1 kilometer south of Kfar Houna, was dynamited by militiamen on Wednesday night. The militia began redeploying from the outpost about a month ago when its civilian responsibilities were transferred to Aramta.
The Kfar Houna position was the most northerly of the six entry points into the occupation zone. Visitors were required to check in with the militia at Kfar Houna and replace their Lebanese license plates with the red and white tags issued by the SLA to all vehicles in the zone. A new checkpoint has been established at Aramta for this purpose.
The redeployment was viewed as necessary due to the vulnerability of the exposed Kfar Houna position to resistance attacks when it became part of the frontline following the SLA’s southward retreat from Jezzine seven months ago.
Between January 1998 and the Jezzine withdrawal last June, only one militiaman was killed in the sporadic resistance attacks on Kfar Houna.
Since then, four militiamen have died, all in roadside bomb ambushes. The pullback has also extended the no-man’s land between the zone and the first Lebanese Army checkpoints at Bater and Kfar Falous near Jezzine to around 24 kilometers.
The only remnants of the outpost were light poles and barbed wires that surrounded it.
Many people who usually travel through this area expressed their pleasure over the SLA’s retreat. Hassan Kheir, from Hasbaya, said he was shocked to see the abandoned outpost when he passed by Thursday morning. “I hope the situation becomes calmer in this area now,” he said.
Although the road directly overlooking the outpost is still blocked by barricades, travelers said they hoped the Lebanese Army would remove them and clear the road of land mines.
If that were done, the journey between Hasbaya and Jezzine would take 15 minutes. It now takes motorists one hour to travel that distance, and they do so while risking being shot at.

"Israeli" Aggressions…(5)

In its statement, the IR mentioned the following "Israeli" aggressions:

00:05, five 155mm missiles hit the deserted Lebanese Army barracks of Nabatieh El-Fawqa.  
00:10, Kfour ravine was shelled by seven 155mm missiles.  
8:45, seven 155mm missiles landed near the school of Arab Salim town.  
Between 8:45 and 9:15, nine 155mm missiles landed near Habboush bridge.  
Between 9:15 and 9:45, Habboush River watercourse was bombarded by forty 120mm and 155mm missiles.  
9:40, the "Israeli" war jets raided into Habboush River watercourse.  
13:05, the "Israeli" war jets staged a sortie into Smahieh area near Zawtar town.  
13:25, the "Israeli" warplanes launched an air raid into the perimeters of Zawtar Gharbieh.  
13:35, several 120mm shells struck the surroundings of Tohorra and Soweida positions, whereas Jarmaq area, surroundings of Soweida outpost and Habboush River watercourse exposed to 12.7mm heavy machine gun fire.  
20:10, Kfour ravine was bombarded by eleven 155mm missiles.

21:25, three 155mm missiles landed the road of Sawan.

22:05, the "Israeli" warplanes raided into Smahieh area.

IR retaliates for "Israeli" aggressions…(6)
In retaliation for the "Israeli" aggressions on Lebanese liberated towns, the Islamic Resistance's (IR) squad of Martyrs Rameh Mahdi and Ali Ismail at 8:45a.m. Thursday pounded the "Israeli" occupation's outpost in Soweida with direct rocket propelled grenades and clashed with the outpost's garrison scoring definite hits in the outpost's ramparts and fortifications from which the enemy staged its aggressions. Smoke billowed from the targeted outpost.

In the meantime, squad of Martyrs Mohammed Bahmad and Ali Darweesh staged a similar attack on the Tohorra outpost scoring direct hits in its ramparts and fortifications.

Moreover, as part of pursuing the Lahdi collaborators, IR - squad of Martyrs Mahmoud Jaber and Hassan al-Akhras - was able to infiltrate to the entrance of the Soweida outpost penetrating the enemy blockades and its tight security measures.

IR men set up an ambush for a Lahdi patrol that was entering the outpost at 14:30. They blitzed the occupation's agents with machine guns and rocket propelled grenades and were able to hit a half-track killing or wounding those in it.

When the enemy brought in reinforcements to the outpost, IR's squad of Martyrs Majed Jaffal and Jihad Moghnieh of the Artillery Reinforcement Unit pounded the outpost with the appropriate weapons inflicting more casualties in the enemy ranks.

At 16:00, IR's squad of Martyrs Ghassan Alawieh and Ibrahim Shehab targeted a Lahdi engineering force that was fortifying the Hmayyed outpost with the appropriate weapons scoring definite hits and barring the enemy force from accomplishing its task.

IR's squad of Martyrs Hussein Mohammed Hussein and Abdel-Ghaffar Habib at 17:30 attacked the occupation's outpost in Sojod with machine guns and rocket propelled grenades scoring definite hits, while squad of Martyrs Esmat Morad and Ali Merhi staged a similar attack on the enemy's outpost in Bir Kallab.

Furthermore, the IR team of martyrs Moussa Mahmoud Ahmad Qarout and Hassan Ali Salameh penetrated, at 21:10, into all security and military measures taken by the "Israeli" occupation forces around Beaufort Castle. The IR men ambushed an "Israeli" convoy near the post, which is equipped with complicated electronic observation devices, and blitzed it with machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades striking a personnel carrier and inflicting all its occupants.

In the meantime, the IR squad of martyrs Issa and Moussa Shouman was rushing upon the Beaufort Castle with the rocket-propelled grenades preventing it from backing up the attacked convoy.

Meanwhile, the IR group of martyrs Bilal Melhem El-Bazzal and Hussein Mahmoud Qabalan was falling upon Ali Taher outpost with the machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades striking its fortifications and barring it from reinforcing the attacked convoy also.

Footnotes:
1- The Daily Star, 14-1-2000.
2- Same source.
3- Same source.
4- Same source.
5- IR statement, 13-1-2000.
6- Al-Manar TV, 13-1-2000.
* It is an "Israeli" nomination we absolutely reject for it contradicts with Lebanon's independence and sovereignty. This army is not but an "Israeli" agent working for realizing "Israel's" goals in Lebanon.