Beirut's Hizbollah stronghold defiant after raids

BEIRUT, July 14: Residents of Beirut's southern suburbs hit by Israeli air strikes overnight today vowed to stand by Hizbollah, despite rising casualties from attacks triggered by its capture of two Israeli soldiers.

The raid on the guerrilla group's stronghold in the south of the capital killed three people and wounded 40. It damaged flyovers and junctions and dozens of buildings and businesses.

''We will stay here until our last breath under the banner of Hizbollah against the barbarians and terrorists of Israel and the United States,'' said Hashem Hashem, a 52-year old employee of the state-run Lebanese University.

Hizbollah's headquarters are located in the area, home to hundreds of thousands of mainly Shi'ite Lebanese, most of them loyal to the group.

Two of the victims in the attacks, part of Israel's wider assault on targets across Lebanon, were Syrian workers who were killed when a concrete slab fell from the flyover they were sleeping under.

At least 60 people, almost all civilians, have been killed since the beginning of Israel's offensive on Wednesday. The Shi'ite Muslim group Hizbollah has bombarded towns across northern Israel, killing two and wounding more than 100.

Today morning trucks removed more than 10 cars destroyed in the raid on southern Beirut, which also punched a three-metre (yard) hole in a square nearby and shattered windows of surrounding buildings.

Many residents refused to blame Shi'ite Hizbollah for prompting Israeli retaliation, despite the Jewish state's warnings to civilians through leaflets to stay clear of the guerrilla group facilities.

''We are not shaken neither by their leaflets nor by their missiles,'' said 30-year old Mohammed Mustafa who was helping shop owners open steel doors that buckled in the raid. ''We don't blame Hizbollah for this. If it was not for Hizbollah they would have hit us whenever they please,'' said Suhaila Fahes, a nurse at al-Sahel hospital. ''I am staying here and will not leave.'' Plainclothes Hizbollah personnel were helping municipality workers clear the roads and keep civilians away from the damaged flyover. Mohammed Khansa, head of the Ghobeiri neighbourhood where most damage was inflicted, is a Hizbollah official.

A car bearing Lebanon's red-and-white flag and Hizbollah's yellow banner was touring the area, with patriotic songs blaring from its loud speakers.

Scores of families, however, were said to have left their homes to safer Beirut areas. ''All families in my building left.

They have women and children and they are scared,'' said 32-year-old Essam Kanaan who was checking damage at the flyover.

A cloud of black smoke was billowing behind him from a fuel depot south of Beirut that was also bombed by Israeli planes.

Some people, like 65-year old Adnan Ibriq, stayed because they had nowhere else to go. ''Tell me where to go? Sleep on the street?'' he said. ''I am not scared. I have seen years of this.'' But women awaiting caesarean operations at the nearby Sahel hospital were disturbed by the attacks, nurse Fahes said.

''They were not supposed to be able to move but they jumped on their feet when they heard the blasts,'' she said. ''...Their operations were delayed and now we are busy treating the wounded.''

REUTERS