http://news.netster.com/story.asp?id=D8J1TKCG0
Israeli Troops: Hezbollah a Tough Enemy
4:20 PM EST July 23, 2006
The Associated Press
ON THE ISRAEL-LEBANON BORDER
Israeli soldiers returning from the front in Lebanon talk of battling an
intelligent, well-prepared and ruthless guerrilla army whose fighters don't
seem to fear death.
The troops describe Hezbollah guerrillas hiding among civilians and in
underground bunkers two or three stories deep _ evidence, they say, that
Hezbollah has been planning this battle for many years.
"It's hard to beat them," one soldier said. "They're not afraid of
anything."
The soldiers, most of whom declined to give their names under orders from
superiors, described exchanges of gunfire in between houses on village streets,
with Hezbollah guerrillas sometimes popping out of bushes to fire Kalashnikovs,
rocket-propelled grenades and anti-tank missiles.
The troops' comments underscored the enormous challenges faced by Israel
as it seeks to neutralize Hezbollah, which captured two Israeli soldiers in a
brazen cross-border raid on July 12, provoking a fierce Israeli response.
Despite Israel's enormous firepower that it says has already killed about
100 Hezbollah fighters, some military analysts say the war isn't going
particularly well for the Jewish state, which is encountering tougher than
expected resistance. It has been unable to push the guerrillas back
significantly or stop hundreds of their rockets from slamming into northern
Israel.
For the past few days Israel has been fighting for control of the tiny
southern Lebanese village of Maroun al-Ras, located on a hilltop less than 500
yards across the border. The army said it had a significant presence in the
village, but gunfire and the blasts of artillery shells could still be heard on
Sunday as tanks and helicopters pounded positions inside.
Officers at the scene confirmed there was still fighting to do.
"They're not fighting like we thought they would," one soldier said.
"They're fighting harder. They're good on their own ground."
One soldier said the guerrillas wore olive green army uniforms "to
confuse us" because Israelis wear the same. Others said Hezbollah hid
underground in reinforced bunkers until they thought it safe to come out and
attack. The Israelis prefer to stay away from those bunkers, the soldiers said,
instead calling in coordinates so forces massed behind the border can hit them
with guided missiles.
"It will take the summer to beat them," said Michael Sidorenko, 21,
resting in the shade of a road sign with other combat troops. On the hills
behind him, loud gunfire and the constant thud of explosions could be heard.
"They're not normal soldiers, you know," Sidorenko said. "They're
guerrillas. They're very smart."
Sidorenko said he saw Hezbollah fighters firing from behind Lebanese
civilians.
"That's why our soldiers are getting killed," he said.
Of the 19 soldiers killed so far since fighting began, five have died
trying to gain control of Maroun al-Ras.
To avoid more deaths, Israel has decided to limit its ground incursions
to pinpoint operations near the border _ a policy that military analysts say
may well be insufficient to achieve Israel's goal of pushing Hezbollah back and
destroying its ability to attack Israel.
Not every soldier described Hezbollah as fierce. One said that when
Israeli troops show up in vehicles, the guerrillas "run like chickens."
Others wondered why Hezbollah had not yet attacked the nearly two-dozen
army vehicles and hundreds of troops camped out in easy striking range below
the hill on which Maroun al-Ras sits.
Most believed the guerrillas would rather aim their rockets at major
Israeli population centers such as Haifa.
A core group of a few hundred Israeli soldiers, including paratroopers,
have carried out most of the fighting in Maroun al-Ras. Sunday's action mainly
involved Israelis firing artillery rounds onto spots on the hill, and armored
carriers bringing supplies to the troops.
One young man said the delivery duty can be harrowing because you never
know where and when the next round of fire will hit.
"It's crazy over there," said Alon Williams, 20, a bright-eyed tank
driver who immigrated from South Africa.
The soldiers said Hezbollah has refrained from attacking them as they
approached Maroun al-Ras in tanks and armored personnel carriers, preferring
instead to let Israelis reach the village and then attack them there.
The fighting, they said, showed the guerrillas had used the six years
since Israel withdrew from Lebanon to build bunkers, stockpile weapons and
study tactics.
"They have good knowledge about where we are, what we're doing, what
kinds of weapons we have," Sidorenko said.
But it's better to fight them now than later, when they'd be even
stronger, he said.
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