Lebanon detains nine Palestinians

Posted 10:06AM on Friday 5th April 2002 ( 23 years ago )

BEIRUT, LEBANON - Authorities detained nine armed Palestinians in southern Lebanon, seized a large rocket and sent troops on border patrols in the strongest attempt yet to stave off cross-border fire between Israel and guerrillas, security officials said Friday. The Lebanese government appeared to be acting under international pressure and threats from Israel. But the detentions did not target the Lebanese Hezbollah guerrillas, whose attacks this week on Israeli army outposts have provoked Israeli airstrikes and fueled fears of a new Mideast front at a time of Israeli incursions in the West Bank. The government has supported Hezbollah's campaign for Chebaa Farms, the main flash point, saying that area is Lebanese. Lebanese troops on Friday seized a ready-to-fire Katyusha rocket and arrested six armed Palestinians who were hiding in a cave at the southern edge of the Bekaa Valley, in the Rashaya area, about 9 miles northeast of the border. Prosecutor-General Adnan Addoum said in Beirut that the six Palestinians would be charged with acquiring and transporting illegal weapons and undermining national security. On Thursday, three Palestinian guerrillas were caught in a car on the coastal road between the cities of Sidon and Tyre, about 30 miles west of the disputed Chebaa Farms area, with Grad rocket detonators in their possession, officials said. The Russian-made 120mm Grad missiles have a range of more than 12 miles. Security officials said the Palestinians planned to fire four rockets into northern Israel. They were also suspected of firing a rocket on the northern Israeli town of Kiryat Shemona earlier in the week. Closer to the Chebaa Farms area, on Lebanon's border with the Israeli-occupied Syrian Golan Heights, witnesses reported seeing at least 200 Lebanese soldiers on patrols Thursday night, setting up checkpoints to search cars entering villages close to the disputed region. At least one Lebanese army helicopter was seen on a reconnaissance mission. On Thursday, the United Nations said Hezbollah guerillas beat up three unarmed observers and two armed peacekeepers near the Chebaa Farms area. The three officers were in stable condition in an Israeli hospital, U.N. spokesman Fred Eckhard said. Secretary-General Kofi Annan condemned the attack. Cross-border raids and shelling by Palestinian guerrillas provoked Israel's invasion of Lebanon in 1978 and again in 1982.

http://accesswdun.com/article/2002/4/202577