Fighting rages ahead of Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon

Shibli Abi-Assi

Sunday, May 21, 2000 | 10:51 a.m.

RASHAYA, Lebanon - Guerrillas kept up their attacks on Israeli-occupied Lebanon on Sunday, firing at least 20 Katyusha rockets and provoking a bombardment from Israeli heavy guns, Lebanese security officials said.

The Hezbollah guerrilla group said its fighters had killed or wounded several pro-Israeli militiamen of the South Lebanon Army, but Lebanese officials said they had no immediate report of casualties in the early morning exchange.

Hezbollah said it attacked a string of positions held by the South Lebanon Army in the eastern sector of the buffer zone that Israel and the militia maintain in south Lebanon.

The Iranian-backed guerrillas fired at least 20 Katyusha rockets and at least two hit a militia outpost at Ahmadieh, Lebanese officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Israeli and SLA guns bombarded guerrilla infiltration trails near five villages along the front line, about 6 miles north of the Israeli-Lebanese border.

In a new twist to the south Lebanon fighting, Hezbollah said it had also attacked an Israeli position at Jabal el-Rouss on the northwestern edge of the disputed Chebaa territory.

In Israel, state radio confirmed the attack, calling the military outpost Har Dov, and said it was the first such strike in years.

Israeli radio said the attack was believed to be related to Lebanon's demand that Israel withdraw from the Chebaa farmland at the foot of Mount Hermon as part of its pullout from south Lebanon, scheduled to be completed by July 7.

Israel has said Chebaa will not be included in the withdrawal as the area was captured from Syria during the 1967 Mideast War.

Sunday's violence maintained the momentum of Saturday when guerrillas launched a series of attacks on Israeli and allied militiamen, prompting Israeli warplanes to blast guerrilla strongholds in southern and eastern Lebanon.

The guerrilla attacks caused power outages in northern Israeli communities.

Israel's air force struck suspected guerrilla infiltration trails at four points along the front line on Saturday. Jets also bombed deep inside Lebanon, targeting a base for Syrian-backed radical Palestinian guerrillas near the Syrian border, Lebanese and Israeli officials said.

There was no independent word on casualties from Saturday's fighting.

The Israeli army said 10 tanks belonging to the radical Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command were destroyed in the raid on their Bekaa Valley base. Lebanese radio reports said at least three PFLP-GC guerrillas died, but security officials in the area could not confirm the reports.

There was no immediate comment from the guerrilla group, which opposes Palestinian peace deals with Israel.

Saturday's raids were the latest in a series of airstrikes against suspected guerrilla bases in recent weeks as Israeli troops dismantled or blew up positions and started their withdrawal from southern Lebanon.

Hezbollah guerrillas have led the fight to expel Israeli troops and 2,500 SLA militiamen from the buffer zone, that covers 10 percent of Lebanon and which was set up in 1985 to protect northern Israeli towns from cross-border attacks.

The continued fighting in southern Lebanon and in the Palestinian territories has caused Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak to cancel his trip to Washington for a meeting with U.S. President Bill Clinton.