13 IDF casualties reported in Bint Jbeil

VIDEO - Military sources report Wednesday that casualties among IDF soldiers have reached at least 13 in intense battles with Hizbullah terrorists in the Lebanese town of Bint Jbeil.

On Tuesday the IDF said with satisfaction that Golani and Paratrooper forces took control of the town, which is considered to be Hizbullah's 'capital' in south Lebanon, but exchanges of fire are continuing there into Wednesday morning.

The IDF forces in Bint Jbeil are searching structures apparently used by terrorists; on Tuesday large quantities of ammunition were found in some of the town’s houses.

On Wednesday morning Hizbullah terrorists opened fire at Golani Brigade soldiers, who returned fire. A number of terrorists fled to a nearby mosque and continued to fire at the troops from inside the structure. Last week IDF soldiers found a rocket launcher at the mosque’s square.

IDF sources said troops engaged in face to face combat, adding that the terrorists set off explosive devices and fired missiles at the forces.

“Hizbullah terrorists are not discounting any means to hurt and kill, including the use of civilians as human shields and holy sites,” an army official told Ynet.

Political and military sources are continuing to deliberate over the type of ground operation to use, and whether it must include the city of Tyre from which the lion's share of rocket attacks on Haifa originate.

The Air Force is continuing to attack targets in Lebanon, and Beirut absorbed heavy bombing on Tuesday, with 10 buildings collapsing to the foundation.

An Israeli air strike killed four United Nations military observers at their base in southern Lebanon.

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan called on Israel to investigate the "apparently deliberate targeting" of the base.

On Tuesday Defense Minister Amir Peretz discussed the creation of a security zone by the IDF, which would make room only for the Lebanese army or a multi-national force to guard the zone.

A number of rockets were fired at Israel Wednesday morning. This time they landed in open territories in the Tiberias area, and caused no injuries or damage.

In Safed a number of rockets landed, and no injuries were reported there either. On Tuesday, the rocket fire exacted a high price in the north: Daa Abbas, 15, of the village of Mghar, was killed by a direct hit to her home.