Hizbollah chief believed in bombed bunker -media

JERUSALEM, July 20 (Reuters) Hizbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah was believed to be in a bunker in southern Beirut at the time of a major Israeli air strike on the facility, an Israeli news Web site reported.

The Maariv newspaper's NRG Web site quoted a senior military source, speaking after the raid late yesterday, as saying information obtained by security forces had shown Nasrallah was there.

But in Beirut, Hizbollah said none of its leaders were killed during the Israeli raid on the bunker.

''Hizbollah denies that any of its leaders or personnel were killed during the latest bombardment...in the southern suburb,'' the group said in a statement faxed to Reuters.

It said the building targeted in the raid was a mosque under construction and not a bunker housing Hizbollah leaders as Israel said.

The Israeli army would say only it suspected senior Hizbollah members were holed up there.

An Israeli military source said dozens of aircraft took part in the operation sometime before midnight, dropping 23 tonnes of explosives on the bunker.

''We targeted a bunker in southern Beirut where the army suspects senior Hizbollah members are,'' an army spokeswoman said.

Reuters YA GC0434