Suspected collaborators arrested in Beirut

BEIRUT, July 19 (Reuters) More than 20 people have been detained on suspicion they helped Israel's air force hit Hizbollah targets in southern Beirut, a Lebanese security source said.

The source said the detentions were made few days ago. The Lebanese authorities had no comment on the report.

Israeli air strikes have destroyed almost all buildings used by Hizbollah's political, security and media organs in the group's stronghold of Haret Hreik after Hizbollah captured two Israeli soldiers and killed eight in a cross-border attack on July 12.

The detentions were made mainly in the suburbs. Some of those held have already confessed to helping Israel and were found to have unspecified ''equipment'', the source said.

High-tech devices on the ground could enable computers on aircraft to identify targets and facilitate their bombing.

REUTERS SY RN1936