An Israeli naval force patrolling the Lebanese coast north of Beirut last week intercepted and killed four seaborne terrorists, an Israel Defense Force spokesman has confirmed.
The clash occurred in the middle of the week, while the navy was carrying out a training exercise not far from the Lebanese coast.
The Israeli sailors opened fire on the four, killing all. There were no Israeli casualties, the IDF spokesman said.
This is believed to be the first operation of the Israeli navy under its new commander, Maj. Gen. Ami Ayalon, who is a known advocate of special operations.
After an almost three-year absence of this kind of “deep-in-enemy territory” activity, the new combination of the IDF chief of staff, Lt Gen. Ehud Barak, and Ami Ayalon promises many more surprises for terrorists, Israeli newspaper analysts say.
From the IDF’s perspective, this naval operation represents one more success in the campaign to frustrate other infiltration efforts.
The navy has more than once announced that it maintains the right to conduct ongoing security operations outside Israeli territorial waters and to conduct routine activity in the open seas off the coast of southern Lebanon.
The navy’s primary confrontations take place with Palestinian and Shi’ite terrorist organizations, which are developing a naval capability to infiltrate Israel.
As the IDF achieves greater success in thwarting land-based penetrations from its so-called security zone, the potential for attacks from Lebanese coasts and waters increases.
Along the Lebanese coasts, there are about 80 improvised docks, some of which can be of use by terrorists. Rubber dinghies, fishing boats and racing crafts in their possession can be put to sea by terrorists from almost any location.
ASSISTANCE FROM LIBYA
The majority of the Palestinian terrorist organizations, particularly Al Fatah and Ahmed Jabril’s Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command, are assisted in their training by the Libyan navy.
In the past, terrorists from these groups have even departed directly from Libya to carry out attacks against Israel.
Recently, in the wake of international pressure on Libya, rumors have circulated in the West that this assistance is about to stop.
But terrorists have other organizations, tied to the Islamic fundamentalist organization Hezbollah, which have already tried to carry out infiltration attacks from the sea. There have been incidences of sea mines planted, ambushes laid and attempted suicide missions against Israeli navy patrol boats.
Over the past two weeks, there has been stepped-up IDF activity against terrorist bases in Lebanon via air attacks and activity within the security zone.
The naval activity adds a new dimension to the struggle against terrorist incursions.
On Saturday morning, IDF troops killed two gunmen near Barasheet, along the northern perimeter of the security zone in its central sector.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
