Israel hits Hezbollah stronghold
2006-07-14 07:24
Beirut - Israeli air raids on suburbs of the Lebanese capital where Hezbollah has its strongholds killed three people and wounded 55 overnight, police said on Friday.
Israel's widening military offensive brought to 50 the number of Lebanese killed since Wednesday, when Israel attacked Lebanon to rescue two Israeli soldiers captured by Hezbollah guerrilla.
An Israeli civilian and eight Israeli soldiers have also been killed since Israel launched its offensive, one of its heaviest in Lebanon since invading the country and occupying the capital 24 years ago.
Hezbollah leadership targeted
The overnight raids appeared to target Hezbollah's leadership, which is based in the densely Shi'ite Muslim neighbourhoods to the south of Beirut that are practically an extension of the Lebanese capital.
The Israeli military spokesperson's office confirmed the strikes.
The Israeli army said it had attacked 15 targets including: a gas depot south of the port town of Sidon, several spots on the highway linking Beirut to the Syrian capital of Damascus, bridges in Beirut and the Hezbollah's headquarters in the southern suburbs.
Rockets fired at Israel
During the night, Hezbollah also fired rockets at northern Israel, causing no damage and no casualties, the Israeli military said.
In Beirut, the impact of at least seven missiles were heard before dawn on Friday, according to an AP photographer, reporter and other witnesses. Anti-aircraft fire from the ground echoed in other suburbs of Beirut as the planes roared over the Lebanese capital.
The bombs and missiles knocked down a bridge, badly damaged another, sheered off the facades of buildings, blew up windows of apartments and sent walls and balconies crashing on cars parked on the streets.
Lebanese TV footage showed that a bomb had ploughed a hole in a main crossroad in south Beirut at Mar Mikhail, on the road that leads out of the capital to the mountains and to Syria.
Fuel storage tanks in flames
A fuel storage tank hit on Thursday night at Beirut's airport was still burning. Another fuel tank at the power plant in the town of Jiye 32km south of the Lebanese capital was also in flames, hours after the Israeli air force bombed it on Friday morning.
Some news reports said a playground where Hezbollah leaders hold rallies for thousands of supporters was also hit.
- AP