The Lowdown on Hezbollah’s Ambush in South Lebanon http://english.al-akhbar.com/content/lowdown-hezbollah%E2%80%99s-ambush-south-Lebanon
Near midnight on Tuesday, August 6, an Israeli commando unit began to move from the Palestinian side toward Lebanon’s northern frontier. The unit deployed to several points along the fence before starting to cross into Lebanon nearly 20 minutes later.The unit followed a path that is in the line of sight of both
Labbouna and Jall al-Alam, the two largest Israeli outposts in the
western area near the southern Lebanese village of Alma al-Shaab. In the
area, there is a narrow footpath that Israeli soldiers have been caught
using before, carrying out activities of a security nature.
To cross further into Lebanese territory, the Israeli soldiers had
almost no choice but to take a road that bypasses the UNIFIL outpost,
while also allowing them to go undetected by the Lebanese army post
nearby. This road is nearly 1 km. The soldiers took a few minutes to
cross it, moving toward another area containing what resembles a ditch,
which the soldiers crossed before arriving at slightly higher ground.
At 40 minutes past midnight, an explosive device containing four
smaller devices filled with ball bearings exploded. Exactly 20 seconds
later, a similar device was detonated. The two explosions had a blast
radius of about 15 meters, enough to hit everything and everyone that
moved within the blast zone.The well-trained Israeli soldiers, as they appeared to be, had been
deployed in formations that seemed to anticipate an ambush. They kept a
certain distance from one another, while some took cover behind the
hills of the same ditch mentioned earlier, and others moved to higher
ground. Nevertheless, the intruding unit was dispersed in a matter of
minutes.A firefight ensued, but news of it was suppressed until yesterday
evening. A rescue force intervened soon after, along with soldiers from
the Labbouna and Jall al-Alam outposts, firing flares in the sky, while
moving to evacuate the casualties.Although the Israeli army needed quite some time to complete the
evacuation, it is clear that the Israeli army was also keen to remove,
as much as possible, all traces of events. However, the injuries of the
soldiers and fear of new attacks, forced the Israelis to withdraw
quickly, leaving traces of blood behind. After about four and a half
hours, the site of the confrontation was completely deserted.
Meanwhile, and unsurprisingly, UNIFIL stood idly by, doing nothing to
investigate the incident. According to a senior officer in the UN
peacekeeping force, his soldiers made quick contacts with the Israeli
side, which claimed that nothing significant had taken place, and that
the two explosions were probably caused by fireworks.
When the Lebanese army detachment in the area received orders to go
to the location of the incident, the UNIFIL soldiers tried to go with
them. But the Lebanese army asked them to standby, before asking them
later to join the Lebanese soldiers at the site.At any rate, no one was going to find anything there. Lebanese and
international soldiers examined the scene of the confrontation, and all
they saw were traces of ball bearings in the trees, and a blood trail
marking the Israeli line of withdrawal. The distance by which the
Israelis breached the border was determined by measuring the distance
between the farthest blood spatter and the Blue Line, and was found to
be around 400 meters into Lebanese territory.
Conclusions
It seems that the Israeli unit was tasked to carry out a military
operation rather than reconnaissance and intelligence gathering. It is
not yet known what exactly the soldiers intended to do during their
incursion in one of the last nights of Ramadan, but informed observers
believe it likely that the Israelis were preparing for some kind of a
military-intelligence operation.Details remain elusive, but it might be worthwhile to note that the
incident took place around the same time as the last few days of the
famous July war, when the Israeli army moved its armored divisions and
infantry only to be dealt the harshest defeat in its history.Israel announced that four of its soldiers were wounded in the
incident, including three who suffered moderate wounds and a fourth who
had minor injuries. Israeli military censors, however, prevented
doctors, journalists, and mayors in the northern settlements from
disclosing any further details.Despite the many secrets that continue to engulf the incident
near Alma al-Shaab, the Israelis face a difficult question: How did
Hezbollah know they were coming?Nevertheless, the statements made by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu and Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon in the aftermath of the
incident are sufficient to confirm that the Israeli army was about to
carry out some kind of operation inside Lebanese territory. All hints
made by the Israelis about “defending the border” practically mean that
the Israeli side is admitting to committing the folly of violating the
border with Lebanon, before encountering an ambush that only the
Resistance could have set up, with explosive devices meant only for the
Israelis.The military analysis and the lessons of the 10-minute encounter have
put the Israelis face to face with some embarrassing questions. These
questions can also be addressed to those who continue to question the
worth of the Resistance, its weapons, and its readiness.First, after nearly 30 years of an open-ended confrontation between
the Resistance and the enemy, the Israelis continue to encounter
unpleasant surprises. Sixteen years after the famous ambush
in Ansariyeh in September 1997 – when an elite Israeli unit was routed
in a Hezbollah ambush – the Resistance can still demonstrate its ability
to surprise the enemy. What will be told in detail later is that the
Israeli force fell into an airtight ambush this time as well. Despite
the many secrets that continue to engulf the incident near Alma
al-Shaab, the Israelis face a difficult question: How did Hezbollah know
they were coming?For the enemy, the obvious conclusion will be that the Resistance
remains ready and vigilant, fully prepared to face any Israeli
incursion. This readiness means the Resistance still has the element of
surprise.Second, the ambush demonstrates a serious intelligence failure by the
enemy. The ambush was planned in advance, which means that Hezbollah
has an intelligence apparatus that allowed the party to learn the time
of the Israeli patrol’s incursion, and to subsequently prepare an
explosive trap within range from two of the largest Israeli border
outposts.As a result, Israel faces even more embarrassing questions: How did
Hezbollah learn about the mission? How was it able – and how did it dare
– to set up an ambush in this area without being noticed? How did the
Resistance succeed in carrying out its operation and withdraw safely?Third, Tuesday night’s incident has revealed not only the readiness
of the Resistance along Lebanon’s southern border, but what could be
more serious in the eyes of the enemy, namely, that Hezbollah has
resolved to counter any Israeli incursion. In other words, Hezbollah has
resolved not only to engage Israeli forces breaching the border, but is
prepared for any confrontation, including a full-blown warMarch 14 and the People of South Lebanon
Naturally, none of March 14 leaders will condemn the Israeli
violations. They will not go further than issuing meaningless statements
that recycle their same old bromides. In fact, it is not far-fetched
for those frenzied leaders to complain because entities in Lebanon had
violated Resolution 1701, which prohibits the presence of weapons and
fighters in UNIFIL’s area of operation.Only people in the South, who climbed to the roofs of their homes
that night to see what was happening, will, on the eve and morning of
Eid al-Fitr, remember that while they were staying up after iftar,
heroic men slipped silently from amongst them to ensure the integrity of
their land and honor, and carry out their duties against an arrogant
enemy that never learns from its mistakes. Those men did their job, and
returned home before dawn to have the suhur meal with their families,
and talk about the celebrations of victory.
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