BEIRUT, Aug 12: More Israeli troops poured into Lebanon on Saturday, capturing a broader swathe of territory in heavy fighting with Hezbollah guerillas, as both sides said they would obey a UN resolution on a truce — but not yet.
Israeli television said seven Israeli soldiers were killed on Saturday — five killed fighting Hezbollah guerillas and two crushed beneath an Israeli tank.
The Israeli army said more than 30 soldiers had been wounded. It said it had killed more than 40 Hezbollah fighters in the last 24 hours and destroyed several rocket launchers. Hezbollah denied it had lost 40 fighters in the fighting.
Israeli air strikes killed up to 20 people on Saturday, Lebanese security sources said. Hezbollah fired at least 65 rockets into Israel — a considerable decrease from recent days — lightly wounding several people.
Israel warned on Saturday that its widened offensive in Lebanon could last weeks despite a UN ceasefire resolution, as its military continued to face tough resistance from the Hezbollah guerillas it has vowed to destroy.
Army chief of staff Lt-Gen Dan Halutz said Israel had tripled the number of its troops for the operation launched overnight, bringing the total number of soldiers operating in south Lebanon to an estimated 30,000.
He said the operation would take place in two phases.
“The first stage will allow us to take control of the terrain and will last a few days. The second will consist in cleaning up the area and could last several weeks,” Gen Halutz told public radio. Commanders explained that troops would seek to reach the Litani River as soon as possible and then move southwards to the border.
Israeli troops in tanks and armoured carriers backed by fighters jets pushed deep into south Lebanon on Saturday and also airlifted hundreds of troops deep inside Lebanon, in what the Israeli media said was the largest airlift operation in 30 years.—Agencies
