Israeli Jets Attack Hezbollah Militia Base in South Lebanon; 2 Killed

Israeli warplanes blasted a major stronghold of the Iranian-backed Hezbollah in southern Lebanon on Sunday in their second attack on Lebanon-based guerrillas in three days.

Police said at least two people were killed and seven wounded in the attack.

In Israel, the military command confirmed the raid in a communique: “The target was destroyed, and all planes returned safely to base.” It gave no other details.

Eight hours after the Israeli air attack, Hezbollah guerrillas fired three surface-to-surface missiles into Israel from the foothills of Mt. Hermon near the Israeli border, police said. There was no immediate word of damage or casualties.

Israeli border gunners struck back with a long-range artillery barrage targeted on the south Lebanese village from where the missiles were fired, police said.

Police and witnesses in the market town of Nabatiyeh said four Israeli jets fired many rockets on a Hezbollah base midway between the neighboring villages of Jarjou and Ein Bouswar in the raid.

A chain of loud explosions echoed across the area after the raid, which demolished a three-story house used by Hezbollah as an ammunition dump and sniper nest on a hilltop overlooking the two villages.

“The house has been completely destroyed, and many victims have been buried beneath the rubble,” a police spokesman said.

A Hezbollah statement in Beirut said two party fighters were killed and many wounded. “General mobilization has been ordered by the party in the area, and all fighters were put on high alert to retaliate for the monstrous Israeli aggression,” the statement said.

Jarjou and Ein Bouswar are several miles north of Israel’s self-declared security zone. Hezbollah has long been engaged in guerrilla attacks against Israeli troops and allied Lebanese Christian militiamen policing the zone.

Israeli jets on Friday attacked bases of radical Palestinian guerrillas in Syrian-policed northern and eastern Lebanon. Eight fighters were wounded.