From Wire Reports
Y A R I N, Lebanon, Oct. 7 - The Israeli
army confirmed today that
Hezbollah guerrillas had captured three Israeli
soldiers on the Lebanese
border.
"This afternoon, three
Israeli army soldiers were kidnapped during
operational activity along
the border fence … on the northern frontier by
Lebanese elements, apparently
Hezbollah," the army said in a statement.
"The Israeli army
will make every effort to locate the abducted
soldiers and to return them
home safely," the statement read.
Violence at Border
The
Hezbollah report came amid a day of violence on the border that began
when
Israeli soldiers opened fire on hundreds of Palestinian refugees who
had
converged on the border fence, pelting soldiers on the Israeli side
with
stones. The Israeli gunfire killed one person.
Soon after the death,
guerrillas fired rockets on Israeli army
positions in the disputed Chebaa
farms region on the eastern part of the
border. It was the first time rockets
have been fired from the Lebanese
side of the border since Israel ended
its 18-year occupation of southern
Lebanon in May.
The guerrillas
opened fire at three Israeli positions in Sammaka,
Ruweisat Alam and the
Chebaa gate, security officials said. It was not
clear who fired and whether
any hits were scored.
The pro-Iranian Hezbollah has warned that its
attacks on Israel could
resume if Israeli forces remained in the Chebaa
farms region, which Israel
seized from Syria in the 1967 Mideast war, and
which Syria and Lebanon
have said should be returned to Lebanon.
The earlier demonstration had erupted at Yarin Gate, a former border
crossing further west from Chebaa farms. Demonstrators had arrived by bus
from Palestinian refugee camps to protest Israeli actions in more than a
week of clashes with Palestinians.
At Least 14 Injured
At least 14 people were injured by Israeli fire around Yarin. Two of the
wounded were in serious condition and were rushed to a hospital in the
southern port of Tyre, the security officials said, speaking on condition
of anonymity.
The demonstrators continued to throw stones and
shout obscenities at
the Israelis following the shooting, witnesses said.
Later, they lobbed Molotov cocktails at a fortified Israeli position
a few yards across the border. As flames erupted from the position,
Israeli soldiers were seen abandoning it, according to witnesses.
The demonstrators also burned tires as they chanted "Allahu Akbar,"
God is Great.
Officials: Army Was Prepared
In Israel,
officials said the army had been prepared for such an onslaught
since Friday
night. Maj. Gen. Gabi, the Israeli army commander for the
border area,
spoke with a commander from the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon
and asked
him to tell the Lebanese government that Israel would use an
iron hand
in repelling any attempt to enter.
The Israeli army believed the demonstrators
wanted to storm the
Israeli border community of Sarit, the officials said,
speaking on
condition of anonymity. Israeli army trucks equipped with loudspeakers
called on the protesters to return to Lebanon, firing in the air and then
at their feet.
The Israeli army confirmed that live ammunition
was used in the
confrontation.
Srulik Tayeb, a Sarit resident,
told Israel army radio that the
protesters began banging on the fence,
and Israeli troops eventually
opened fire.
"About 11
or 12 buses reached the border fence. About 500 to 600
people got out,
some with flags," Tayeb said. "They marched toward the
fence.
They began banging on the fence."
He said the protesters were
wounded as they "tried to climb the fence
and tried to come over to
our side."
"We are all scared," added Tayeb. "Everyone
has taken their kids; we
are putting them into [underground] shelters.
The whole community is in
shock."
The Associated
Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
Back
to Dark Savant Ministries