September Wednesday 22 -1999:
Introduction
Two "Israeli"-backed militiamen were killed as the Islamic Resistance
(IR) militants set off a powerful explosive device at Kfar Houna crossing
point between the zone "Israel" occupies in the south and government-held
territory.
Meanwhile, the "Israeli" occupying troops violated the April Understanding when they fired fifty shells, some of them are internationally-banned flechette rounds, damaging nineteen houses and destroying more than a dozen civilian vehicles.
Israels militia takes more casualties from roadside bomb
The Islamic Resistance (IR) team of martyrs Hassan Baflani and Abbas
Mohammad Nassereddine attacked, at 2:30, Qsair position with the adequate
arms.
Also, the IR unit of martyrs Ahmad Ali Tleis and Issam Mohammad El-Kayal targeted, at 3:40, Mohaisbat post with the rocket-propelled grenades scoring direct hits.
Moreover, the IR squad of martyr Ashraf Kheireddine detonated, at 8:50, a powerful explosive device at the sand barricade of Kfar Houna crossing inflicting two casualties.
At the same time, the IR group of martyrs Abbas Bjeiji and Amir Rizk staged a swift attack on the same position with the machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades destroying its fortifications completely.
In the meantime, the IR Artillery Reinforcement Unit (ARU) was bombarding the position with the appropriate weapons chalking up direct goals.
Forty minutes later, the IR team of martyrs Ali Abdel-Halim Shraim and Tarek Jaafar Essaghir rushed upon enemy military vehicles as they were entering Bir Kallab outpost. Using the machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades, the mujahedeen managed to score direct hits (1)
For its part, The Daily Star reported that "Two SLA* militiamen were killed Tuesday morning in a combined roadside bomb and rocket attack against the Kfar Houna outpost in the northern sector of the occupation zone.
"Hizbullah said in a statement that it detonated a massive bomb at 8.30am against an SLA road-clearing patrol near the Kfar Houna outpost. Fighters also assaulted the post with mortar fire and rocket-propelled grenades. Two militiamen were killed in the attack although it was unclear whether they died in the bomb blast or the assault".
"The fatalities raise to 15 the number of SLA men killed since the beginning of the year. Another 65 militiamen have been wounded in the same period" (2)
Observers: No restraints on IR military operations
(3)
"Despite Tuesdays bomb attack at Kfar Houna, observers noted a downturn
in the number of roadside bomb ambushes in the past six weeks. The reduction
has inevitably raised questions as to whether Hizbullah is being restrained
in the period prior to the resumption of peace talks between Lebanon, Syria
and "Israel". The reality, observers argue, is more likely to be the lack
of targets on the ground coupled with improved defensive measures undertaken
by the "Israelis" and the SLA militia.
"The sides of the roads used by military vehicles in the zone have had all rocks, bushes and undergrowth scraped away by bulldozers to prevent bombs from being hidden. "Israeli" patrols have also been reduced to a minimum with most soldiers remaining inside their heavily fortified compounds. The "Israelis" fear roadside bombs but are relatively unconcerned by the daily patter of exploding mortar rounds on the roofs of their reinforced concrete bunkers."
"An array of high-tech surveillance equipment is permanently deployed along frontline areas to detect guerrillas infiltrating the zone on bomb-planting missions. This equipment includes television cameras either suspended from balloons for aerial views or placed in inaccessible wadis portable battlefield radars, pilotless observation planes, motion sensors and thermal imaging cameras".
"The number of bombs being discovered by "Israeli" and SLA patrols appears to have risen lately. "Hizbullahs two most recent bomb ambushes to inflict fatalities at Kfar Houna and Zimraya in the eastern sector three weeks ago would appear to support the view that targets are in short supply. Both the Kfar Houna and Zimraya posts are located in remote, mountainous areas on the edge of the zone. "This allowed Hizbullah fighters greater ease in reaching their targets undetected and planting the bombs compared to deep penetration operations inside the zone. Furthermore, SLA militiamen usually prove softer targets than the heavily defended and unobtrusive "Israeli" troops."
"Occasionally Hizbullahs fighters slip through. On Aug. 4, a potentially lethal trap of five linked explosive charges was set near the "Israeli" radar base at Bayada on the coast. The highly sophisticated bomb ambush was bungled at the last moment when the waiting Hizbullah team mistook a civilian cement mixer driving out of the base for an "Israeli" armored vehicle. The cement mixer triggered the bombs, killing the driver and completely destroying the truck.
"If the squad had hit their intended target and decimated an "Israeli" convoy, speculation of the resistance having been restrained would be considerably muted".
Occupation violates April Understanding: bombarding Yohmor with
internationally banned shells
(4)
""Israeli" occupation forces violated the April Understanding at dawn
today (yesterday) when they targeted the eastern neighborhood of Yohmor
with more than 50 'flachette' bombs (containing nails) that hit 19 houses
and three cars.
"The houses that were heavily damaged belong to Hussein Hassan Oleiq, Ali Hussein Saeed, Hussein Ali Saeed, Mohammed Hassan Oleiq, Soheir Nasser, Ali Hassan Nasser, Abed al-Nasser Hamzi, Mohammed Hussein Oleiq, Ahmed Ali Hamzi, Hussein Nayef Nasser, Kamal Najib Saeed, Ghazi Saeed, Ahmed Zhour, Mohammed Hassan Saeed, Kamel Najib Saeed, Kamal Jawad Mroweh, and Qassem Zeineddeen.
"A UN source in south Lebanon said the flachette bombs that are fired from tanks are internationally-banned because they do not target a specific spot but spread nails over a wide diameter.
"The "Israeli" occupation's warplanes this morning raided the Nabeh al-Tasseh gorge firing air-to-ground missiles that exploded in the groves surrounding the gorge.
"Meanwhile, the "Israeli" artillery bombarded Iqleem al-Toffah hilltops and the western Beqaa hilltops (the outskirts of Ain al-Tineh, Maidoun, Birkat al-Jabbour and Abu Rashed hilltops), while enemy aircraft heavily circled over the targeted areas.
"Earlier, the enemy warplanes staged a series of raids (between 20:15 and 21:00 Monday) against the al-Hennieh-Zibqeen-Jibal al-Botom triangle, the woods of Chaitieh, and the area between Chaitieh and Zibqeen.
"The "Israeli" warplanes fired over 20 air-to-ground missiles on the targeted areas, while the enemy artillery pounded the woods of the targeted towns. No casualties were reported"
For its part, the Islamic Resistance (IR) released a communiqué
in which it reported the following "Israeli" aggressions (5):
6:15, two smoke shells hit Mount Bassil.
6:20, one 120mm shell landed the perimeters of Yater village.
7:05, the "Israeli" war jets raided into Tasseh Well watercourse, whereas
Salhani area was targeted by one 120mm shell.
Between 8:10 and 10:25, Mount Abou Rkab was bombarded by forty five
120mm and 155mm missiles in addition to a barrage of 12.7mm heavy machine
gun bullets.
8:10, Arid El-Zennar area subjected to a volley of 12.7mm heavy machine
gun rounds.
Between 8:15 and 8:25, the perimeters of Mlikh village came under four
120mm shells.
8:35 ten 155mm missiles slammed into the peripheries of Ain El-Tineh
town.
21:50, the perimeters of Kfar Tibnite came under several 81mm rounds
and middle machine gun bullets.
AUMG condemns "Israeli" violations
(6)
"The April Understanding Monitoring Group (AUMG) condemned the aggressions
practiced by the "Israeli" occupation forces against Lebanon.
"In the meeting at the UNIFIL HQ in the occupied town of Naqoura, the five-way group examined five Lebanese complaints over "Israeli" violations in Libbaya (resulted in wounding a Lebanese civilian and damaging propety), and in the western and middle sectors (damaging property), besides the usual "Israeli" claims that the resistance has fired mortars from populated areas".