Naharnet Newsdesk - 7 Killed, 36 Injured in Israeli Air Raids on Convoy of Security Forces, Civilians who Escaped Marjayoun

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7 Killed, 36 Injured in Israeli Air Raids on Convoy of Security Forces, Civilians who Escaped Marjayoun

Israeli drones attacked a convoy carrying hundreds of Lebanese security forces and civilians Friday that had earlier been escorted by the U.N. from the southern town of Marjayoun caught in the war between Israel and Hizbullah, killing at least seven people and wounding 36, security officials said.
They had earlier said four people, among them army and police, were killed "and 16 wounded -- some seriously -- by nine bombs fired by Israeli drones at on a convoy of vehicles which was en route from Jib Jannin to Kefraya in the south of the Bekaa valley".

The attack came 30 kilometers northeast of Hasbaya, and the victims were mostly civilians, security officials said.

Three Lebanese army vehicles were hit and set ablaze, they added. Several civilian vehicles were also struck.

Jib Jannin is 35 kilometers northeast of Marjayoun, and Kefraya is seven kilometers northwest of Jib Jannin.

Hundreds of Lebanese soldiers and hundreds of civilians fleeing the Israeli bombardments were in the convoy, which several hours previously had left Marjayoun escorted by two United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) armored vehicles.

Some 350 members of a joint police and army security force, whose barracks had been occupied by Israeli troops, and more than 500 civilian cars formed the massive convoy.

The U.N. escorted them as far as the Druze village of Hasbaya, 13 kilometers from Marjayoun.

"UNIFIL left the convoy at that place," spokesman Milos Strugar said, adding that "the Israeli forces had been told in advance of the convoy's passage, and had given it the green light".

"We are trying to find out what happened," he added.

Their departure from Marjayoun, the focus on Thursday of a major incursion into the eastern sector of southern Lebanon, had been held up for several hours by doubts over the condition of the heavily bombarded road north, security officials said.

The head of the Lebanese Red Cross's rescue teams, George Kettaneh, said the convoy had been "deliberately targeted".

Speaking on LBCI television channel, he said "an appeal should be made to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to bring a halt to the bombardments".

President Emile Lahoud issued a statement condemning "the Israeli bombardment of the convoy despite an agreement negotiated by UNIFIL guaranteeing its safety".

The U.N. force said Friday Israeli troops were also pressing farther forward towards Khiam to the southwest, which they had started to surround in a pincer movement from different sides the day earlier.

The U.N. peacekeepers had arrived at the barracks in Marjayoun, occupied the previous day by Israeli troops, to usher out the soldiers and hundreds of civilians from the town and neighboring villages.

The Lebanese army and police have stayed on the sidelines of Israel's war against Hizbullah, although 30 members of the security forces have been killed in Israeli attacks.

The force in the Marjayoun barracks had been assisting the local population in since Israel launched a devastating offensive against Lebanon a month ago after Hizbullah captured two Israeli soldiers to try to force a prisoner swap.(AFP)

Beirut, 12 Aug 06, 09:18


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