Four terrorists believed to be members of the Hezbullah extremist group were killed Wednesday in a clash with Israel Defense Force soldiers who continued their massive search of south Lebanon for two Israeli soldiers kidnapped by Shiite extremists Monday.
The clash occurred near the village of Haris in south Lebanon, according to a communique issued here by the IDF. No Israelis were injured. But according to Lebanese sources, the clash resulted in the death of 10 Lebanese–four Hezbullah members, four members of Amal, and two civilians.
The Army, meanwhile, declined to comment on a threat by the kidnappers to kill one of the two soldiers unless all Israeli forces are withdrawn from south Lebanon by 9 p.m. Wednesday, local time.
But some army and Defense Ministry sources expressed fear that the soldiers are no longer in south Lebanon and that their captors have taken them to Beirut or possibly to the Bekaa Valley. Nevertheless, Uri Lubrani, the Israeli Coordinator for south Lebanon, said the search would continue until the missing men were found.
MISSING IDF SOLDIERS IDENTIFIED
They were identified by the IDF Wednesday as Yossi Fink of Raanana and Rahamim Alsheich of Rosh Haayin, both 20 and both students at the Karnei Shomron Yeshiva in the West Bank, which combines religious studies with military service under a program called Yeshiva Hesder. Fink, born in Manchester, England, was brought to Israel by his parents at the age of five. They were kidnapped by an organization calling itself the Islamic Resistance Front.
Israeli commentators said that the IDF’s efforts to find the two soldiers has become as much a retaliatory action as a search. Four terrorists were killed near Haris village Wednesday, reportedly after they opened fire on Israeli troops. Israel, meanwhile, has also turned to diplomatic channels to gain the release of the soldiers. Most of this activity is centered on the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv. Hezbullah has been holding five Americans and two French nationals hostage for nearly a year.
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