Arab Reports Say 9 Israeli Soldiers Killed at Bint Jbail
26 July 2006
Arabic television stations are reporting at least nine Israeli soldiers were killed in fighting with Hezbollah guerrillas in the southern Lebanese town of Bint Jbail.
Israeli military officials have said several soldiers were shot during the fierce battle for control of the town, but they have not reported any deaths.
The town located about four kilometers from the Israeli border is described as a regional base of Hezbollah guerrillas.
Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has expressed "deep regret" over the killing of four members of a United Nations observer team in an Israeli air strike in southern Lebanon on Tuesday.
A statement from Mr. Olmert's office says the prime minister spoke by phone to U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan and promised a thorough investigation into the incident.
Mr. Annan has condemned the attack on the outpost, saying it was clearly marked and that the four peacekeepers were victims of an apparently deliberate attack by Israel.
In another development, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah says his guerrillas are ready to fire rockets that will reach farther into Israeli territory, beyond the northern city of Haifa.
Hezbollah has fired more than 1,000 rockets into northern Israel since the fighting broke out two weeks ago. Several missiles exploded in or near Haifa - about 40 kilometers from the Lebanese border. Israel believes that Hezbollah may have even longer-range weapons, capable of reaching Tel Aviv.
The fighting has killed about 400 Lebanese and almost 50 Israelis. Almost all of the Lebanese and more than half of the Israeli victims were civilians.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.
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