The Israeli navy said it destroyed a booby-trapped fishing boat in Lebanese waters Wednesday, killing two terrorists believed to have been on a suicide mission.
According to the navy account, an Israeli gunboat on routine patrol encountered the fishing boat maneuvering in a suspicious manner offshore from the Rashidiya refugee camp, near the southern Lebanese port city of Sidon.
When the two men on board ignored the Israelis’ challenge, the gunboat opened fire, according to the report. The fishing boat exploded in a huge fireball at the first shot, indicating it was packed with hundreds of pounds of high explosives.
The navy believes the terrorists’ mission was to entice an Israeli patrol boat close enough for boarding and detonate the explosives, killing Israeli sailors along with themselves.
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