DIARY OF RESISTANCE OPERATIONS - August 1998

The following are the Islamic-Resistance operations that took place during the month of August in 1998...

Islamic Resistance Performs 83 Operations in August 1998

This August, the Lebanese resistance squadrons increased their military operations against the occupation forces and Lahd agents. The squadrons performed 130 operations: The Islamic Resistance performed 83, the Amal Movement 34, the Lebanese Brigades for Fighting the "Israeli" Occupation 13 (as in July), and the Communist Party 1.

The Islamic-Resistance operations killed three "Israelis" and wounded 18 others, among who were 10 Zionist settlers, the enemy acknowledged. In contrast, Islamic-Resistance sources said 5 "Israelis" were killed.
For its part, the Lahd Militia said two militiamen were wounded and two others killed.

Other "Israeli" military sources reported 3 soldiers were wounded, in addition to a pilot whose helicopter had been shot while landing near ad-Dabsheh Site.
A while earlier, the Islamic-Resistance artillerists had stricken troops marshaled at the site.

On the other hand, each of the Islamic Resistance, the Amal Movement, and the Communist Party offered a martyr. Hussam el-Amin, the Amal-Movement fighter, was martyred as a Zionist helicopter launched a rocket. A fighter of the Communist Party was captured, too.

Operation Sojod, August 8, 1998

Having monitored a Zionist force installing radar at Sojod Site, an Islamic-Resistance group attacked the site on August 8, 1998; the fighters snuck to a spot very close to the radar being installed. Then they clashed with the counter force. One of the fighters even broke into the site; using his pistol, he clashed with a Zionist paratrooper of "the Paratroopers Brigade". Whereas the paratrooper called his comrades to rescue him, the fighter safely withdrew from the site.

The operation represented a total failure, the enemy acknowledged. For their part, the "Israeli" newspapers said the operation was "catastrophic and shameful". Upon the statement of a senior "Israeli" officer, one of the newspapers reported, "The fighter was only a few meters away from two "Israeli" soldiers guarding the site. He shot 15 bullets at them before using his pistol to clash with a paratrooper. Then he withdrew. The operation was daring. No phalanx of "the Paratroopers Brigade" is actually supposed to mess up like this one did!"

The "Israeli" media reported some stories as to the operation. One said: "The phalanx corresponding to "the Paratroopers Brigade" was surprised to see a fighter in the ditch surrounding the site. Then the fighter used his pistol to clash with the paratroopers." The other story said: "The fighter actually broke into some of the site chambers and seized communication devices."

For its part, the Islamic Resistance displayed a video tape showing the fighter breaking into the site and safely leaving it afterwards.

In fact, this incident seemed quite overwhelming to the Zionist military commanders. Chief of Staff Shaul Mofaz formed an investigation committee, personally taking charge of it. As soon as the investigations ended, disciplinary measures were made against a number of military officers serving in the south of Lebanon. Besides, the commander of the paratroopers' phalanx was forced out of office, and two soldiers were prohibited from further serving the phalanx. Many remarks were recorded in the personal records of the senior Zionist officers serving this division. The officers were considered "responsible for the improper preparation of their forces." And the operation "revealed a serious decline in the practical level." 

Upon the statement of private sources, "as-Safir Newspaper" reported the following information: ""Brigade of Martyr Sayyed Hadi Nasrallah", corresponding to the special-forces "Martyrs Brigade", performed the operation. As the brigade reached the rampart of the "Israeli" site, a fighter went straight into the walkway directly leading to the site; whereas the other fighters spread, paralyzing the movement of the garrison at the front mounds." The sources added: "As the fighter made his way into the site, he opened the doors of inside chambers. Facing an "Israeli" soldier, the fighter shot five bullets, wounding him.

Then the fighter's machinegun broke down, and he attacked the soldier. Now the latter cried for help, so his comrades tried to gun the fighter down. Covered up by a fire-backup group, the fighter withdrew through the same walkway. Slightly wounded, he was treated at once and got repositioned."
"Moments after the fighters withdrew," the sources added, "the enemy soldiers went so hysterical; they thought that the fighters had spread all over the site. For the first time ever, the soldiers began combing the inside of the site, and they dropped grenades into the inside chambers. Other enemy site garrisons combed other sites, where no fighters were."

New Information Revealed on Ansariyeh Ambush, August 14, 1998

A wrong move of the "Israeli" navy commander was beyond the failure of the commandos operation in Ansariyeh in September 1997, also beyond the death of 12 commandoes, "the French Press Agency (AFP)" reported upon the statement of Moshe Rodovski, a deceased commando's father.
Interviewed by "Haaretz" on August 14, 1998, Rodovski said, "Admiral Alex Tal, who supervised the operation while in his office of Staff in Tel Aviv, gave orders to sustain the operation though some information reported that Hizbullah had exposed the commandoes."

Stressing that "very trusted sources" provided his information, Rodovski said, "After Hizbullah's radars had monitored the 16 commandoes, Hizbullah intentionally ceased wireless telecommunications. Though this was supposed to make the admiral suspicious, he did not stop the operation. So the commandos got ambushed."

"Admiral Moshe Hauriv, the second navy commander, was so shocked that he could not sustain his mission for some moments after the operation failed", Rodovski added.

Operation Sojod 2, August 19, 1998

On August 19, 1998, an Islamic-Resistance group ambushed a Zionist squad patrol heading to Sojod Site. "The squad was going to get positioned somewhere", claimed Chief of "the Northern Command" Gabi Ashkenazi.
As soon as the squad reached the ambush spot, the fighters bombed an explosive. Then they machine-gunned the patrollers and launched hand grenades against them.

As a motorcade leaving ar-Rihan arrived in the clash zone to reinforce the squad targeted, another Islamic-Resistance group attacked it. The fighters also hit a Merkava tank positioned in front of Sojod Site. The tank had tried to reinforce the squad and the motorcade.
A soldier was killed, and 4 others were wounded, the condition of two of whom was critical. They were transported to "Ram Bam Hospital" in Haifa, the enemy acknowledged.

Ashkenazi formed an investigation committee after the operation. But he could not conceal the fighters had found out about the time the patrol would set off. Nor could Ashkenazi conceal the fighters had implanted the explosive exactly where the patrol would get positioned.

Operation Shkief, August 21, 1998

On August 21, 1998, an Islamic-Resistance group ambushed the Zionist exchange force, 150 meters away from the gate of Shkief Site. Only one of the convoy vehicles was unarmored. As soon as the convoy reached the ambush spot, the fighters blasted it before attacking it with their machineguns and rocket shells.
The fighters' complete dominance over the battle field prevented the enemy from evacuating the wounded and deceased soldiers and the burning vehicles. As another big enemy force arrived in the operation zone, another Islamic-Resistance group clashed with it for some time.

The enemy acknowledged the operation, declaring soldier Amos Halfa, who reinforced site fortifications, as well First Sergeant Moshe Piton, was deceased. A helicopter transported both of them to Keryat Shemona Settlement.
Close enough to the convoy, a fighter located the unarmored vehicle and blasted it. The technical means of the "Israeli" military were could not detect the bomb and detonate it. It was believed the bomb was wirelessly blasted, the enemy channel correspondent reported.

"Time after another, Hizbullah makes use of the routines of the "Israeli" military. This is the fourth time this month when Hizbullah confirms the fighters know how to watch the "Israeli" sites, uncover the soldiers' movements, determine the defect, and strike," the correspondent commented.

"The "Israeli" military is losing its excellence factors in the south of Lebanon," the correspondent added, "Last month, Hizbullah killed four. Then a fighter sneaked into Sojod Site. Apparently this excellence is fading."
For his part, the military correspondent of the Zionist channel interviewed the "Israeli" Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. "Today, the "Israeli" military doesn't dominate the south of Lebanon. Hizbullah fighters do," the correspondent said. "We've been the target of very harsh operations; this is too painful. But we're trying not to suffer as much losses anymore, and we wish to get the "Israeli" military out of Lebanon amid good security circumstances..." Netanyahu replied.

Islamic Resistance Bombards Settlements, August 25, 1998

On August 25, 1998, the Islamic-Resistance artillery launched a number of Katyusha rockets, which security sources estimated to be 40. The rockets hit the Zionist settlements of Nahariya, Keryat Shemona, and Zarait, in addition to al-Abbad Site by the Lebanese borders with occupied Palestine.
The counterstrike occurred after the barbaric Zionists bombarded the towns of Machghara and Ain et-Tineh in West Beqaa and assassinated Hussam el-Amin, an officer of the Amal-Movement Operation Chamber. 

The rockets brought about damage to a number of settlement blocks, set fires on, and damaged the electric network of Keryat Shemona Settlement. Ten Zionist settlers and two soldiers, too, were wounded, the enemy acknowledged.
For its part, "the Associated Press" said the artillery strikes had brought about 19 casualties at least. 

Source: moqawama.org