Three Israeli soldiers were wounded in south Lebanon yesterday, an army spokesman reported today. He said they were hit by small arms fire and a hand grenade thrown at an Israel army vehicle from a road ambush, several kilometers north of the Israeli border town of Metullah. The Israelis returned the fire.
Druze forces, meanwhile, were reported today to be in control of virtually all of the Shouf mountain region, vacated by Israeli troops a week ago. Only one Christian village, Dier el-Kammar, was reported holding out against attacks by Druze and their allies. The town is said to be packed with refugees from surrounding villages overrun by the Druze.
According to Israeli sources, the Druze are supported by elements of the Palestine Liberation Organization and Syrian artillery fire. Lebanese Druze leader Walid Jumblatt has strongly denied that the PLO was aiding his forces. The Lebanese army however showed reporters the bodies of three soldiers who were allegedly carrying PLO and Syrian documents when they were killed.
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