Israeli commandos penetrate Hezbollah Hospital to snatch fighters:
August 2, 2006 — Israeli commandos stormed a Hezbollah-run hospital in Lebanon early today, capturing three guerillas and killing 10 others in a major escalation of the 3-week-old war, officials said.
After the dramatic, four-hour raid on the ancient Roman city of Baal bek ended, the Israeli military said all its soldiers returned unharmed to their base, but gave no further details.
The attack on Baalbek – once a Syrian army headquarters 80 miles north of Israel – was the deepest ground attack into Lebanon since the fighting began 21 days ago.
“During the night, [Israeli] forces operated in the town of Baalbek,” an Israeli army spokeswoman said. “A number of terrorists were also arrested and taken to Israel.”
Hezbollah claims face scrutiny:
If Hezbollah-run media are to be believed, then 35 Israel Defense Forces soldiers were killed or wounded in Ayta a-Shab , militants downed an Israeli helicopter and destroyed a house in which IDF soldiers were hiding, and IDF troops are always hit in the back because they are running away.
All these statements are baseless because – despite the impression Hezbollah has made for straight talk – credibility is not its strong suit.
Hezbollah’s reports have become less and less believable in recent days. On Monday, Al-Manar television – the central component of Hezbollah’s well-oiled media empire – reported that the organization had destroyed an Israeli ship off the coast of Tyre, which had some 50 sailors aboard – a charge the IDF dismissed completely.
Hezbollah Fights Back:
BEIRUT (Reuters) – Hizbollah guerrillas bombarded northern Israel with rockets and fought up to 6,000 Israeli troops in Lebanon on Wednesday after Israel vowed to pursue the war until a strong international force arrived.
Israeli commandos snatched suspected Hizbollah members from the ancient city of Baalbek in a helicopter-borne raid backed by air strikes that killed 19 people, including four children.