Israel makes new incursions, Hizbollah kills 3

By Staff
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MARJAYOUN, Lebanon, Aug 3 (Reuters) Israeli forces have made two fresh forays into Lebanon and now hold seven positions which one Israeli broadcaster said today were part of a ''security zone'' Israel would maintain until peacekeepers arrive.

Hizbollah guerrillas, facing some 10,000 Israeli troops in south Lebanon, killed three soldiers and wounded several, and fired scores of rockets into Israel, killing eight people.

The Israeli army said it planned to clear a 15 KM wide security zone in south Lebanon in the next few days.

Maj Zvika Golan, spokesman for the northern command, told reporters the army was already in control of some 20 villages at a depth of 6-7 KM.

''We are looking to clear 15 km into Lebanon within the next few days. We're going to need more brigades, probably two more, and that will depend on government authorisation,'' Golan said.

Adding two more brigades could bring the number of soldiers in Lebanon closer to 12,000.

Lebanese security sources said Hizbollah fighters, targets of a three-week Israeli bombing campaign, had attacked Israeli units with anti-tank rockets, mortars and assault rifles.

UN peacekeepers of the UNIFIL force said the Israelis had made two incursions into Lebanon in the past 24 hours and maintained their grip on five other areas already seized.

HEAVY FIRE ''Heavy exchanges of fire continued unabated throughout the UNIFIL area of operation,'' a statement said. ''It was reported that the IDF made two new ground incursions.'' Lebanese security sources said the Israeli-held enclaves were some two to five KM inside Lebanon.

Israel has said it has no plan to stay long in Lebanon, after ending a 22-year occupation of a southern strip in 2000.

Israeli artillery and aircraft pounded a cluster of frontier villages, killing two civilians overnight, while Hizbollah launched salvoes of Katyusha rockets into northern Israel.

Witnesses said hundreds of Israeli shells hit a wadi in southeast Lebanon although Hizbollah continued to fire rockets at Israel from the area.

''It is very intense,'' one witness said of the exchanges.

Hizbollah said it had destroyed four tanks in attacks near Aita al-Shaab, Taibeh, Khiam and Shiheen, inflicting ''certain casualties in enemy ranks''.

The Israeli army said two soldiers were killed by an anti-tank missile, bringing to 39 the number killed by Hizbollah since July 12. It later said a third soldier had been killed in the fighting.

The army said 15 wounded soldiers had been evacuated to Israel.

Seven Israeli brigades, or up to 10,000 troops, are fighting in southern Lebanon.

REUTERS SBA RK0020

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