November Thursday 25-1999:Daily Report
LBR honors fighters, Hezbollah SG: Independence
completes by liberation
(1)
The Lebanese Brigades for Resisting the Israeli
occupation (LBR) organized a celebration to honor one of its combat teams
on the occasion of Independence Day.
Hezbollah Secretary General his Eminence Sayyed
Hassan Nasrallah who delivered a speech at the rally said, "The LBR was
not a media project but a demand by all the Lebanese of different sectarian,
regional, and party affiliations".
Independence will not be complete as long as
our soil is occupied, our youth is in captivity, our villages bombarded,
and the enemy's warplanes violate our skies and destroy our houses, he
said.
Independence will be achieved only by you and the Resistance in spite of the many difficulties, he added, noting that "all the arrangements before or after the withdrawal will not be of any benefit for us."
"The enemy has tried all methods to besiege the Resistance: assassinated cadres, and even (party) members, and tried to create unrest in our ranks; however, we have not been dragged and never will, because we know that involvement in unrest will only harm our resistance and people," the secretary general said.
An LBR member delivered a speech and thanked Hezbollah for the sponsorship, support, and interest that the party is offering to LBR.
Sayyed Nasrallah and LBR members exchanged symbolic memorial gifts.
Occupiers tighten noose on Arnoun
(2)
Two days after two women were detained by the
SLA*, the occupation forces tightened their grip on Arnoun on Wednesday,
sealing off the narrow path that allows residents access to Nabatieh.
The unexpected clampdown on Arnoun has raised speculation of an attempt to depopulate the village in line with a possible Israeli plan to redeploy from the northern sector as a precursor to a full withdrawal from the south.
SLA militiamen manning the outpost at the entrance to Arnoun used rocks to block the path leading through the barbed wire barricades which surround the town.
The path serves as a lifeline for residents who work in Nabatieh, 5 kilometers to the northwest, for farmers to reach their fields and for the few children remaining in the village to attend school in nearby Yohmor.
Arnouns remaining population of around 45 mostly elderly residents are now effectively trapped inside the village.
The only access out of the zone is by foot vehicles are banned in Arnoun along the 3-kilometer track to the crossing at Kfar Tibnit.
On Monday, SLA security agents arrested Samira Hassan Attieh, 25, and Shamlakan Hussein Assaf, 23, and took them to Khiam Prison. There was no explanation for the detentions.
Khalil Hamdan, an Amal official, claimed that the clampdown was intended to turn the village into a barracks.
Arresting women and children in Arnoun is an old trick used by the occupation forces to pressure the residents into leaving their homes, he said.
The Israelis annexed Arnoun into the occupation zone last April in a bid to thwart roadside bomb ambushes against troops manning Beaufort Castle, located on a hill overlooking the village.
Ambushes in the area have since declined, although there has been no cessation of long-range mortar attacks against Beaufort Castle.
Last month, SLA militiamen constructed a new observation post in the home of Ali Ghazali. The post allows the militiamen to scrutinize the open countryside between Arnoun and Kfar Tibnit.
Beaufort Castle and Arnoun could play a strategic role if the Israelis choose to stage a partial withdrawal prior to departing from the south.
The northern sector, the area of the zone lying north of the Litani River, has effectively become redundant as a strategic asset since the SLA retreated from Jezzine last June.
A withdrawal from the northern sector to the southern bank of the Litani would be coupled with a pullback in the eastern sector to a line running from Marjayoun to Kfar Shouba.
In such a scenario, the Israelis are expected to retain possession of Beaufort Castle despite the fact that it lies on the northern bank of the Litani River.
The castle, which has views of the south and northern Galilee, is considered too strategically important to be handed over prior to a full troop redeployment from the south. Therefore, retaining control of Arnoun would become more important than ever to prevent the resistance using the area to stage assaults on the castle.
Nonetheless, despite intense speculation to the contrary last month, there is no concrete evidence that the Israelis plan to redeploy to locations closer to the border anytime soon.
The Jezzine experience, in which the SLA were mauled by Hizbullah fighters during their retreat from the town, warned the Israelis that large-scale troop movements before a deal is cut with Syria is a risky endeavor.
Israeli Aggressions
(3)
The Israeli occupying troops launched the following
aggressions:
6:45, two 120mm shells hit the perimeters of
Haddatha town.
7:00, Mount Zaatar was shelled by seven 155mm
missiles.
Between 7:10 and 7:30, five 120mm shells struck
Mount Sojod.
12:25, the hilltops of Ain El-Tineh came under
fifteen 155mm missiles.
13:10, several 120mm shells were fired at Mount
Amoud between Jmeijmeh and Khorbet Selem villages.
Between 13:15 and 13:55, Qaissieh Valley was
bombarded by eight 155mm missiles.
13:25, several 120mm shells fell on the peripheries
of Jmeijmeh.
Between 19:10 and 19:40, the perimeters of Jibaa came under sisxteen
155mm missiles.
19:35, three rounds fell on the outskirts of Sojod village.
21:35, Qaissieh Valley was shelled by four 155mm missiles.
22:25, three 120mm shells hit the eastern peripheries of Kfar Houna
town.
Between 22:30 and 23:50, the outskirts of Mashghara town came under
five 155mm missiles.
23:05, Ali Taher forest was targeted by five tank rounds and a volley
of 12.7mm heavy machine gun bullets.
23:40, three 155mm missiles landed Mount Sojod.
Between 19:10 and 19:40, the perimeters of Jibaa came under sisxteen
155mm missiles.
19:35, three rounds fell on the outskirts of Sojod village.
21:35, Qaissieh Valley was shelled by four 155mm missiles.
22:25, three 120mm shells hit the eastern peripheries of Kfar Houna
town.
Between 22:30 and 23:50, the outskirts of Mashghara town came under
five 155mm missiles.
23:05, Ali Taher forest was targeted by five tank rounds and a volley
of 12.7mm heavy machine gun bullets.
23:40, three 155mm missiles landed Mount Sojod.
Military Operations
(4)
The IR team of martyrs Hassan Hussein Balhas
and Mohammad Saleh Hemadeh attacked, at 00:50, a Lahdi engineering force
as it was fortifying the hilltops of Aramta village. The mujahedeen, who
used the rocket-propelled grenades, were able to prevent it from achieving
its goal and to score direct and certain hits.
Also, the IR men spotted, at 7:10, enemy movements at Sojod outpost. Shortly afterwards, the IR unit of martyrs Othaina Kansou and Abdallah Rammal rushed upon it with the machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades chalking up direct and certain hits.
For its part, Amal Movement fired seven 120mm shells at Taibeh position and four others at Salaah post.
Moreover, the IR mujahedeen observed, at 19:00, a Lahdi motorized patrol traveling on the road linking between Rihan town and Bir Kallab outpost. Upon reaching to the said outpost, the Ir squad of martyrs Mortada Ahmad Rammal and Jamal Mustafa El-Jouni rushed upon it with the machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades scoring direct and certain hits.
Furthermore, the IR militants spotted, at 22:30, a Lahdi engineering force as it was beefing up the hilltops of Aramta town.
Shortly afterwards, the IR group of martyrs Ahmad Melhem Chahrour and Hussein Ali Moussa Hamdan fell upon it with the rocket-propelled grenades prevent it from achieving its goals. Also, direct and definite hits were chalked up, the mujahedeen reported.
Moreover, the IR mujahedeen observed, at 19:00, a Lahdi motorized patrol traveling on the road linking between Rihan town and Bir Kallab outpost. Upon reaching to the said outpost, the Ir squad of martyrs Mortada Ahmad Rammal and Jamal Mustafa El-Jouni rushed upon it with the machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades scoring direct and certain hits.
Furthermore, the IR militants spotted, at 22:30, a Lahdi engineering force as it was beefing up the hilltops of Aramta town. Shortly afterwards, the IR group of martyrs Ahmad Melhem Chahrour and Hussein Ali Moussa Hamdan fell upon it with the rocket-propelled grenades prevent it from achieving its goals. Also, direct and definite hits were chalked up, the mujahedeen reported.
For its part, the fighters of the Lebanese Resistance Brigades (LRB) attacked, at 21:20, Jamoussa HQ of the 80th Brigade with the rocket-propelled grenades scoring accurate and direct hits. Meanwhile, another group of (LRB) fell upon Haddatha compound with the artillery shells chalking up direct goals.
Five minutes later, the LRB fighters rushed upon Mohaisbat position with the rocket-propelled grenades damaging its fortifications. In the meantime, another group of (LRB) was targeting Mashaaroun outpost with the artillery shells scoring direct hits.