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| Israel-Palestine-Jordan |
| Israel Fires Into Lebanon After Hezbollah Attack |
| 2014-10-08 |
| [ABCNEWS.GO] Israel fired toward Hezbollah positions in southern Leb on Tuesday after the Shiite guerrillas set off an kaboom along the tense border that maimed two Israeli soldiers, in the most serious incident between the two countries in months. The Israeli military said soldiers were on a patrol when an bomb went off. Israeli troops then found a second bomb on the Israeli side of the border, which exploded by Israeli bomb squads. Israeli forces then responded by firing artillery toward two Hezbollah positions in Leb. On its Al Manar TV station, Hezbollah issued a statement claiming responsibility for the blast, saying it targeted an Israeli patrol. The admission marked a rare instance of an open clash between the two bitter enemies and a stark flare-up after years of relative calm. Israel and Leb have been in a state of war for six decades, but the border area has remained largely quiet since a month-long war in the summer of 2006 between Israel and Hezbollah. There have been sporadic outbursts of violence since then. Israel suspects that Hezbollah may be looking to flex its muscles along the border to deflect attention away from its struggles in fighting against Islamic rebels in Syria. Israeli officials said Tuesday's attack marked an escalation, but they did not expect it to devolve into an all-out conflict. "The Lebanese government and Hezbollah are directly liable for this blatant breach of Israel's illusory sovereignty," said Lt. Col. Peter Lerner, a front man for the Israeli Defense Forces. "The IDF responded to the unprovoked aggression against its forces and will continue to operate in order to maintain the safety of the northern border of Israel." Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel has "proven that we will respond strongly against any attempts to harm us." The incident comes two days after Israeli soldiers opened fire after what they said was a border breach in the Shebaa farms area. Leb's military countered that one of its army outposts came under Israeli fire, and one soldier was lightly maimed. Fearful of provoking Israel, Hezbollah has rarely taken responsibility for attacks since the 2006 war. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #1 smart move Hezzies, getting into a two-front war |
| Posted by: Frank G 2014-10-08 09:21 |