Military sources reported today a recent increase in the number of attempted infiltrations of the security zone in south Lebanon, mainly by Palestinian terrorists but by Shiite guerrillas as well. The security zone roughly parallels the Israel border and is the last enclave in south Lebanon occupied by the Israel Defense Force. The IDF is expected to be completely out of Lebanon some time this month.
An IDF patrol shot and killed two armed infiltrators Friday night, north of the Druze village of Hatsbaya in the security zone. The bodies were found the next morning along with a quantity of arms and ammunition.
Meanwhile, new friction has developed between the IDF and its allied South Lebanon Army (SLA) and the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). UNIFIL spokesman Timor Goksel has complained that the SLA, which he refers to as the “Israeli-backed militia,” has been harassing UNIFIL forces in the security zone. UNIFIL does not recognize the SLA as a legitimate army and frequently checks its convoys passing through UNIFIL check-points.
VEHICLE INCIDENTS WITH UNIFIL
Goksel referred to an incident 10 days ago in which an IDF armored personnel carrier (APC) was reported to have rammed the car of a senior UNIFIL officer and an IDF truck “nudged” an officer of the Irish contingent of UNIFIL. The incident occurred at Beit Yahun where an Irish patrol apparently was halted by the SLA.
According to Goksel, the UNIFIL Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, Col. Eystein Singstad of Norway personally intervened when an Israeli APC rammed his car, pushing it off the road with considerable damage. The Norwegian Foreign Ministry is reported to have protested to Israel over this and earlier incidents involving Norwegian personnel with UNIFIL.
In another development, the IDF and SLA commander Gen. Antoine Lehad are investigating the disappearance of 26 SLA soldiers from their post in the security zone Friday night, near the Shiite village of Majdal Selim. The SLA claimed its men had been kidnapped by the Shiite militia, Amal. But there is evidence that the SLA soldiers, most of them Shiites, gave up their weapons and defected to Amal.
SLA checkpoints outside Yaater village were attacked twice yesterday with automatic weapons and rocket-propelled grenades. There were no casualties.
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