Israeli Airstrikes Kill 20 in Lebanon
17 July 2006
Israeli military planes have bombed Beirut's port and other sites in Lebanon on the sixth day of an offensive against the Hezbollah militant group.
Lebanese officials said more than 20 people died in airstrikes Monday, including at least eight Lebanese soldiers at a military post.
They said attacks on the capital hit a fuel depot, factories and civilian installations.
Israeli ground troops also crossed the border into southern Lebanon to attack a Hezbollah position, and then returned to Israeli soil.
Meanwhile, Israeli officials say rockets fired by Hezbollah militants destroyed a building in the northern city of Haifa, injuring two people. Sunday, a rocket attack killed eight people in the city.
Also, Israeli officials denied a Lebanese television report that claimed an Israeli warplane was shot down over Lebanon.
Hezbollah rockets struck other parts of Israel today, including Nazareth and the town of Afula, about 50 kilometers from the border.
At least 23 Israelis have died in the fighting. Israeli military strikes have killed more than 160 people in Lebanon.
Israel began the offensive against Hezbollah after the Islamic extremist group captured two Israeli soldiers in a cross-border raid. Israel is demanding the return of its soldiers, and blames the Lebanese government for failing to stop Hezbollah's attacks.
Some information for this report was provided by AP and Reuters.
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