At least seven Shiite militiamen were killed by Israeli troops in a seaborne raid on south Lebanon in the early hours of Monday morning, Israeli military sources reported. Several militiamen were also injured in the attack two miles south of Sidon. There were no Israeli casualties during the operation carried out under cover of helicopter gunships. It was the first reported seaborne raid on south Lebanon since Israel invaded the country in 1982.
The Israel army had reportedly obtained information that hundreds of Palestinian terrorists had set up bases in the Sidon area, the south Lebanon security zone, and were preparing to attack Israel. According to Lebanese security forces in Sidon, the Israelis landed on the coast from missile boats and blew up two vehicles belonging to members of the Popular Liberation Front, a Lebanese militia group allied with the PLO.
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