Israeli Commando Raid In Bekaa
The rumor reported last night of Israeli missiles being fired in the Bekaa Valley appear to have been part of an Israeli commando raid on Boudai. Information is still sketchy, but the Washington Post reports that Israeli authorities have confirmed the raid and that there were Israeli casualties.
The Israeli military, confirming the raid, said its commandos carried out the operation as part of an effort to prevent resupply of Hezbollah with weapons and munitions from Iran and Syria. It said one Israeli officer was killed and two soldiers were wounded, one seriously.
There was no immediate reaction from Hezbollah. But Lebanese immediately worried that the militant Shiite Muslim movement would retaliate, risking a chain of cease-fire violations that could result in resumption of the devastating war that drove nearly a fourth of Lebanon's inhabitants from their homes and inflicted an estimated $3.6 billion in damage to bridges, roads and other infrastructure.
In accepting the cease-fire, the Hezbollah leader, Hasan Nasrallah, warned that Hezbollah reserved the right to attack Israelis as long as they remained on Lebanese soil. At the same time, the Israeli government declared it reserved the right to respond to attacks and prevent resupply of Hezbollah guerrilla units in the southern border hills until an international force is in place.
"Until proper monitoring bodies are established on the Lebanese border, such operations will continue," an Israeli military spokesman said.
Boudai, which lies in the foothills of the Mt. Lebanon chain about 10 miles northwest of Baalbek and more than 60 miles north of the border, has long been known as a Hezbollah stronghold. Local officials speculated to local journalists that a senior Hezbollah leader, Sheik Mohammed Yazbek, may have been the commandos' target.
Apparently, the raid did not succeed and was discovered early in its execution.
UPDATE: Well, the AP is reporting a number of details now. Israel is claiming that the commandos accomplished their mission, so it's still very confused.
The army said such operations would be carried out until "an effective monitoring unit" of Lebanese or multinational troops was in place.
"If the Syrians and Iran continue to arm Hezbollah in violation of the (U.N. cease-fire) resolution, Israel is entitled to act to defend the principle of the arms embargo," Israeli foreign ministry spokesman Mark Regev said.
Hezbollah TV and Lebanese security officials said Israeli helicopters dropped off a commando team outside the village of Boudai west of Baalbek in eastern Lebanon.
The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to release information to the media, said the Israelis apparently were seeking a guerrilla target in a nearby school but had no other details. The officials also reported heavy overflights of Israeli jets.
Lebanon's foreign minister said he immediately informed a visiting U.N. delegation of Israel's violation.
Such a bold operation risked scuttling the fragile cease-fire and suggested Israel was going after a major target near Baalbek — perhaps to rescue two Israeli soldiers snatched by Hezbollah on July 12, or to try to capture a senior guerrilla official to trade for the soldiers.
Hezbollah has said it wants to exchange the two soldiers for Arab prisoners, but the U.N. cease-fire resolution demands Hezbollah unconditionally release the soldiers.
