A senior Israel Defense Forces soldier denied reports Saturday that two Hizbullah terrorists were nabbed in a commando operation by Israel Defense Forces special units.
Earlier it was reported that Israel
Defense Forces commanders ordered the commando operation
against Hizbullah in Baalbek despite knowing that reconnaissance drones sent over the Bekaa Valley to back up special forces there were identified by Lebanese officials.
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| Commando operation in Baalbek (Reuters video) |
Defense Minister Amir Peretz said Saturday evening that the operation didn't breach the UN-brokered ceasefire. "It is a necessary operation to prevent the rearmament of Hizbullah," Peretz said.
Peretz said he "encourages the soldiers who achieved the aims of this daring operation" and send condolences to the family of the officer killed in clashes with Hizbullah.
Estimates were that if no Lebanese civilians are hurt, Hizbullah won't renew rocket fire at northern Israel.
The IDF refuted Lebanese reports that the operation was aimed at kidnapping or killing senior Hizbullah officials, saying the operation is part of efforts to curtail Hizbullah's smuggling of weapons from Syrian.
The operation was approved by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Peretz and IDF Chief of Staff Lit.-Gen. Dan Halutz.
| Commando Operation |
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| Olmert: Operation was neccessary / Ronny Sofer |
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Sources in Prime Minister's Office Saturday afternoon back up commando operation in Baalbek, in which officer killed, saying, 'Operation was necessary because Hizbullah is violating ceasefire by smuggling Syrian and Iranian arms' |
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The operation was supposed to be top secret – the kind operations that are not reported even if successfully carried out.
The IDF piled intelligence pointing to significant attempts to rearm Hizbullah while a UN-brokered ceasefire is in place.
On Friday night it was reported that Israeli drones and warplanes were crisscrossing the skies above Lebanon's eastern Bekaa Valley, near the Hizbullah stronghold of Baalbek.
Some Lebanese news reports said Israeli aircraft carried out mock raids in the Bekaa which later appeared to be aimed at providing a cover for the airborne landing of special units.
The units were said to be the best the IDF has. The operation's details have not been released for publication but the IDF said the targets have been met.
UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which brought about the end of "acts of aggression" between Israel and Hizbullah, calls for an embargo on arms shipments to Lebanon unless authorized by the Lebanese government.
Israel said it holds the right to take military action against the Shiite group if it tries to smuggle arms from Syria.
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