Israeli military estimates up to 25% of Hizballah’s rocket assets destroyed in six days. No immediate timeline for ending operation
July 17, 2006, 1:53 PM (GMT+02:00)
They say it is too early to discuss a new international force for South Lebanon. DEBKAfile adds: Hizballah still has three quarters of its 10-13,000 rockets intact, and, moreover, according to our sources, is receiving fresh supplies through smuggling routes across Syria into the northern Lebanese pocket of Hermel. It is therefore impossible to draw up a time table to end the Israeli campaign to crush Hizballah’s war machine.
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IAF Bombs 5 Rocket Launch Sites In Lebanon
Air Force strikes 50 targets in Lebanon overnight3 reserve battalions called upDefense Minister Amir Peretz approved Monday night the draft of three reserve battalions – infantry and engineers. The forces will be drafted starting Tuesday morning and will replace regular forces in Judea and Samaria. The regular forces will help in the northern array.
As of today, infantry and engineer corps are operating to destroy Hizbullah outposts in the line of fire. Deputy Chief of the General Staff, Maj. Gen. Moshe Kaplinsky, revealed, in a Monday press conference at the IDF headquarters in Tel Aviv, that in recent days, forces were operating in a ground offensive against Hizbullah outposts in Rajar village.
He added, "I can say that we've already attacked dozens of targets in Beirut, targets that served as Hizbullah headquarters. We attack 130 sites for launching rockets and other missiles. We attacked more than 105 targets serving as terrorist infrastructure in southern Lebanon and tens of targets for storing weapons and munitions. We struck down directly more than 20 terrorist cells that tried to operate weapons during the course of the operation in Gaza. We attacked naval radars and several bridges. We blocked several roads in Lebanon and tried to impose an aerial blockade by attacking airport runways."
He concluded by saying, "despite our many accomplishments, and despite the fact that things are progressing well, Hizbullah is still firing rockets. Granted they are being launched smaller quantities, but the barrage still continues against Israeli population centers. We will do everything to reduce this shooting."
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