Attack On Baalbek

You'll see from this map how far North in Lebanon Israel has launched a recent attack. It seems fairly clear this is a strike at the heartland of Hizbollah. And now we know, courtesy of Michelle Malkin. They must have had intelligence that Hizbollah officials were using the hospital for cover. This is one story. Ten miles from the Syrian border, raiding a hospital propped up by an Iranian charity. Interesting, to say the least.

Read several linked reports below, this could be huge.

Residents said the Dar al-Hikma hospital is financed by an Iranian charity, the Imam Khomeini Charitable Society, which is close to Hezbollah. The hospital is also run by people close to the Shiite militant group, the residents said on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation.

After several hours of intense fighting in and around a hospital in the eastern Lebanon town of Baalbek, IDF commando forces on Wednesday morning took a number of Hizbullah officials captive.

Reportedly, an IAF helicopter dropped special forces soldiers at the hospital late Tuesday night. Heavy shooting with Hizbullah operatives on the premises ensued.

After inspecting the identification of everyone in the hospital, the IDF soldiers proceeded to arrest several people described in a CNN report as Hizbullah officials, who were later transported back into Israel. The officials names and positions in the organization were not revealed.

No IDF soldiers were wounded in the operation, an army spokesperson told The Jerusalem Post.

Earlier Wednesday morning, Hizbullah spokesman Hussein Rahal said, "A group of Israeli commandos was brought to the hospital by a helicopter. They entered the hospital and are trapped inside as our fighters opened fire on them and fierce fighting is still raging."

In a statement released Wednesday, the IDF confirmed that Hizbullah operatives had been captured and that others had been killed. This is the first confirmation by the IDF of operations so deep inside the Bekaa Valley, a known Hizbullah stronghold.

More background at Stratfor

Lebanon's Bekaa Valley will play a critical role in the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. Its eastern edge forms the border with Syria, making a spillover of the conflict possible. It is also Syria's economic lifeline, one Damascus would hate to lose. And the valley's easily defensible geography means Israel will face a tough struggle in its efforts to subdue the heartland of both Hezbollah and Lebanon's Shiite population.

AL-Jezeera mentions al-hikmah hospital, image at link, in Baalbek and also a private hospital, though they claim Israel did not make off with any patients. Looks like the guy named below was one target. Whether they got him or not remains to be seen.

Lebanese security sources are claiming that special IDF forces have failed in their attempt to seize Hezbollah High Council member Sheikh Muhammad Yazbek, one of the most senior members of the organization, from a hospital near Baalbek in the western Bekaa valley.

Sweet!

Yazbek was reportedly surrounded by other senior Hizbullah members. Sky News quotes sources as saying that the IDF troops succeeded in snatching one or more persons from the hospital.

Baalbek, an ancient city with spectacular Roman ruins, was a former Syrian army headquarters and included the barracks of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards when they trained Hezbollah guerrillas there in the 1980s.

BAALBEK, Lebanon, Aug 2 (Reuters) - Israeli commandos snatched at least three suspected Hizbollah members from the ancient city of Baalbek, deep inside Lebanon, on Wednesday in a raid backed by air strikes that killed at least 12 civilians.

JERUSALEM, Aug 2 (Reuters) - Israeli commandoes seized several militants during an airborne operation in the eastern Lebanese town of Baalbek overnight on Wednesday, the army said.

Latest JP -- After inspecting the identification of everyone in the hospital, the IDF soldiers proceeded to arrest several people described in a CNN report as Hizbullah officials, who were later transported back into Israel. The officials names and positions in the organization were not revealed.

Article below claims they didn't get the top guys, not that Hizbollah would tell us.

Security officials in Lebanon said that at least three Hizbullah gunmen were apprehended in the operation: Hussein Nasrallah, Hussein al-Bourji, and Ahmed al-Gutah. According to the sources, none of the three is a senior organization member.

Here's the latest war news from the Middle East: Pajamas Media, or read a few regional blogs. I like to check the JP headlines, as well.

Comments

[Kerry]

When the IDF "arrested" the 'suspects', did they read them their Miranda rights?

[Jack]

Just an "add-on" to what has been written. Drugs are a big part of the picture in the Bekaa Valley...

http://www.fas.org/irp/congress/1990_cr/h900727-syria.htm

As well, it has been mentioned as the final resting place of Saddam's WMD. People can look it up on the net.

My thoughts are that if Syria enters into a war with Israel the preceeding comments provide the true reason for their panic.

[hobo]

I think Hezbollah's chief spokesman, Hussein Rahal and some of the US government leaders should up their daily fiber intake. As a group, they are walking around so full of crap, I can't help but wonder if they don't employ the same PR firm. Really, very little spin but a lot of hilarity.