Israeli artillery fire, tanks mass next to border, gov spokesman on strikes
(22 Jul 2006) SHOTLIST Kiryat Shemona, Israel - 22 July 2006 1. Israeli artillery firing shell 2. Smoke rising in distance, AUDIO of explosion 3. Various of Israeli soldiers carrying shells and walking about near cannons 3. Israeli artillery firing shell 4. Israeli soldiers covering ears, AUDIO of shell being fired 5. Israeli artillery firing shell Near village of Maroun al-Ras, Lebanon - 22 July 2006 6. Various of long shots of border area, AUDIO of shelling 7. Wide of Israeli tanks parked at roadside, AUDIO of gunfire and shelling 8. Zoom of Israeli soldier praying, AUDIO of shelling 9. Wide shot of Israeli tanks parked by roadside, AUDIO of big explosion 10. Large plume of smoke rising nearby 11. Plume of smoke, AUDIO of shelling Haifa, Israel 12. SOUNDBITE: (English) Avi Pazner, Israeli government spokesman: "For the time being, we are taking surgical action in some parts of southern Lebanon. We are relentlessly hitting Hezbollah targets. There is not yet a decision on an invasion of Lebanon because remember we left Lebanon six years ago and we have no intention whatsoever to reoccupy it again." Near Avivim, northern Israel - 22 July 2006 13. Israeli armoured vehicles parked by roadside STORYLINE Israeli aircraft and artillery continued to pound southern Lebanon on Saturday, while Hezbollah rockets continued to fall on the northern Israeli town of Kiryat Shemona. Plumes of smoke could be seen at several locations on the Lebanese side of the border and shelling could be heard. Roads and villages near the Blue Line, defining the border between Israel and Lebanon, were bombed throughout the night, witnesses said. Hundreds of Israeli troops moved in and out of Lebanon, taking control of the village of Maroun al-Ras and engaging Hezbollah fighters by land, sea and air as part of the country's limited ground campaign. Israeli armour was seen parked on a road near Maroun al-Ras with one soldier performing his Sabbath prayers. At one point in the fighting, a half-ton bomb was dropped on a Hezbollah outpost, about 500 meters from the border and near the village. More positions were bombarded by Israeli gunboats operating off the coast. Lebanese security sources said that the Israeli military had made incursions of only a few hundred metres (yards) into Maroun al-Ras and Yaroun villages. There were no injuries or deaths reported. Speaking in the northern Israeli city of Haifa, Avi Pazner, an Israeli government spokesman, said the military was taking "surgical action in some parts of southern Lebanon". But Pazner said no decision had been made on a full ground invasion of Lebanon. The raid on Saturday was part of Israel's wider strategy of running a "limited" ground operation which it says is aimed at destroying Hezbollah's tunnels, hideouts and weapons stashes in south Lebanon. The Lebanese health ministry reported 362 deaths in Lebanon so far in the onslaught, an increase of 55 since it released figures on Thursday. Thirty-four Israelis also have been killed, including 18 soldiers and an air force officer killed on Friday in the collision of two helicopters. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter: / ap_archive Facebook: / aparchives Instagram: / apnews You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...
