IDF Commandos Raid Hezbollah Stronghold
The IDF seems less and less amused with Hezbollah's refusal to stop trying to kill Israelis. They've begun undertaking spectacular operations as well as preparing for a major ground offensive:
Israeli aircraft flew support missions as troops hit the ground about 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) north of Baalbeck in the Bekaa Valley near the Syrian border, the sources said. The Lebanese army also reported heavy helicopter traffic east and west of the town, the northernmost ground operation for Israel during the nearly three-week conflict.. Witnesses, however, said "several" people were taken out of the hospital.
Israeli newspapers are reporting that "several" means "six", and are naming three of them. All are relatively low-ranking members of the group - but the entire raid still sounds like something from the days of Entebbe:
After several hours of intense fighting in and around the in the eastern Lebanon town of Baalbek, which was built by Iran for the express purpose of treating Hizbullah operatives, IDF commando forces on Wednesday morning took a number of Hizbullah operatives captive. An IAF helicopter dropped commando forces a short distance from the hospital late Tuesday night. The force was discovered as it moved towards the structure, where Hizbullah operatives were suspected of hiding. Several hours of gunfights ensued, and at least 10 Hizbullah guerrillas were reported killed. Another force was helicoptered in to extricate the commandos and provide backup for the mission. After inspecting the identification of everyone in the hospital, the IDF soldiers proceeded to arrest several Hizbullah officials, who were later transported back into Israel... The main target of the operation was Muhammad Yazbek, a senior figure in the organization. Yazbek was not in the hospital at the time of the raid.
On the other hand, the Entebbe forces didn't have this kind of air support:
Lebanese security sources said the IDF commandos landed by helicopter, launching several strikes near Baalbek, which is located in eastern Lebanon's Bekaa Valley. One Lebanese officer said the Israel Air Force presence in the air above the ancient city was "unprecedented."
One other thing: the hospital that the commandos raided? Yeah, it was built for Hezbollah by Iran specifically to provide first-rate care to Hezbollah militia members. One last time: remember when the Guardian said that there was no overt relationship between Hezbollah and Tehran?
UPDATE: Originally, the second and third links were accidentally identical. Second link fixed now.
Israeli aircraft flew support missions as troops hit the ground about 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) north of Baalbeck in the Bekaa Valley near the Syrian border, the sources said. The Lebanese army also reported heavy helicopter traffic east and west of the town, the northernmost ground operation for Israel during the nearly three-week conflict.. Witnesses, however, said "several" people were taken out of the hospital.
Israeli newspapers are reporting that "several" means "six", and are naming three of them. All are relatively low-ranking members of the group - but the entire raid still sounds like something from the days of Entebbe:
After several hours of intense fighting in and around the in the eastern Lebanon town of Baalbek, which was built by Iran for the express purpose of treating Hizbullah operatives, IDF commando forces on Wednesday morning took a number of Hizbullah operatives captive. An IAF helicopter dropped commando forces a short distance from the hospital late Tuesday night. The force was discovered as it moved towards the structure, where Hizbullah operatives were suspected of hiding. Several hours of gunfights ensued, and at least 10 Hizbullah guerrillas were reported killed. Another force was helicoptered in to extricate the commandos and provide backup for the mission. After inspecting the identification of everyone in the hospital, the IDF soldiers proceeded to arrest several Hizbullah officials, who were later transported back into Israel... The main target of the operation was Muhammad Yazbek, a senior figure in the organization. Yazbek was not in the hospital at the time of the raid.
On the other hand, the Entebbe forces didn't have this kind of air support:
Lebanese security sources said the IDF commandos landed by helicopter, launching several strikes near Baalbek, which is located in eastern Lebanon's Bekaa Valley. One Lebanese officer said the Israel Air Force presence in the air above the ancient city was "unprecedented."
One other thing: the hospital that the commandos raided? Yeah, it was built for Hezbollah by Iran specifically to provide first-rate care to Hezbollah militia members. One last time: remember when the Guardian said that there was no overt relationship between Hezbollah and Tehran?
UPDATE: Originally, the second and third links were accidentally identical. Second link fixed now.
