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Hizbullah continues to disrupt Israeli pullout

Special To World Tribune.com
MIDDLE EAST NEWSLINE
Thursday, May 18, 2000

TEL AVIV [MENL] -- Hizbullah continues to fire toward Israeli outposts along the border in an attempt to disrupt the withdrawal from Lebanon.

Hizbullah shells fell around the Israeli outpost of Tsiporen just over the Israeli border in southern Lebanon on Wednesday. Tsiporen is one of five Israeli outposts that is being evacuated.

Israeli and South Lebanese gunners shelled suspected Hizbullah positions in response. Israeli warplanes returned to the skies and attacked Hizbullah positions.

Hizbullah gunners have also targeted the Livneh outpost on the northern Israeli border. The sources said two civilians working to dismantle the outpost were injured by a mortar shell.

Over the last three days, Israel has evacuated two outposts in southern Lebanon, the sources said. This included the Rotem base along the Mediterranean coast.

The next stage of the withdrawal will include major outposts in the central and eastern sectors of the Israeli zone of troop deployment. This includes Marjayoun.

On Wednesday, Prime Minister Ehud Barak presented a $440 million plan to bolster communities along the northern border.

Earlier, Azar Shahla, a former SLA official, was killed in the village of Markaba. In February, Shahla's brother was killed in a Hizbullah attack. Later, SLA arrested two people on suspicion of collaborating with the Hizbullah.

In Beirut, Hizbullah claimed responsibility for the assassination. They said three agents carried out an execution order against Shahla on charges of collaborating with the enemy.

In Cairo, the Al Aharam Al Arabi weekly reported that Egypt and Saudi Arabia pledged military backing for Damascus if Syria is attacked by Israel. The weekly, in a report dismissed by Israeli officials, said the pledge was relayed by the foreign ministers of Egypt and Saudi Arabia during their meeting in Palmyra earlier this month.

Thursday, May 18, 2000

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