Hizbullah acquired and deployed Chinese-origin cluster bombs during its recent war with Israel.
The New York-based Human Rights Watch reported that Hizbullah acquired cluster munitions and fired them during the 34-day war, which ended Aug. 14. The U.S. group identified the munition as the Chinese-origin Type 81 122-mm rocket.
The Type 81 system fires 122mm free rockets to a maximum range of 20km. in either single or in salvo.
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Israel's military confirmed the HRW report and said 113 cluster munitions were fired into its territory.
"We are disturbed to discover that not only Israel but also Hizbullah used cluster munitions in their recent conflict, at a time when many countries are turning away from this kind of weapon precisely because of its impact on civilians," said Steve Goose, director of Human Rights Watch's Arms Division.
This was the latest report of Hizbullah's use of Chinese-origin weapons.
On July 14 Hizbullah, aided by Iranian advisers, fired the first of several Chinese-origin C-802 anti-ship cruise missiles toward Israeli navy patrols. The first C-802 slammed into the INS Hanit Saar-4.5-class corvette killing four sailors.
Human Rights Watch said it did not know how Hizbullah acquired the Type 81 cluster munitions. The group said the latest findings "raise serious concerns about the proliferation of these weapons to non-state armed groups, as well as states."
The Type 81 cluster munition contains 39 Type-90 or MZD submunitions. Each submunition is designed to fire hundreds of steel spheres, each measuring about 3.5-mm in diameter. China, Egypt, Italy, Russia, and Slovakia produce nine types of 122-mm rockets with submunitions. Sudan and the United Arab Emirates have stockpiled the weapons.
"Human Rights Watch discovered evidence of Hizbullah’s unprecedented use of this cluster munition in the course of ongoing investigations of the group's attacks on northern Israel during the war that lasted from July 12 until August 14," HRW said.
"Israeli authorities had until now prevented publication of details of Hizbullah cluster strikes in Israel, citing security concerns."
