Iranian missile explodes from truck
Martin Chulov, Beirut
19jul06
A LONG-RANGE Iranian-made missile capable of reaching Israel's leading city, Tel Aviv, launched skyward from a bombed truck convoy east of Beirut before crashing to earth, Lebanese military officials have confirmed.
After initially suspecting the spiralling fireball was a downed Israeli warplane, officials now believe it was evidence of the most serious threat to Israel's main cities yet to emerge in the week-long conflict.
"No Israeli aircraft has been hit over Beirut. All of the air force planes and helicopters have been accounted for," an army spokesman said.
The Zilzal missile has a much bigger warhead than those that have rained down on northern Israel for the past week, and an advanced guidance system. It exploded after a convoy of trucks travelling over a mountain pass into south Beirut was attacked by an F-16 jet.
Israel has stepped up its attacks on suspected supply lines for Hezbollah, bombing two truck convoys north of the capital yesterday and another in a loading bay outside the Beirut port.
Officials at the scene, in a narrow valley near a military base, told The Australian they suspected the convoy had come from Syria, but they were not sure when it crossed the border. Up to six trucks lay in ruins on the road, with the one, believed to have been carrying the missile, obliterated across the mountain side.
An enormous black plume rose from an adjoining tyre dump set ablaze by the explosion, which had earlier led locals to claim it was the scene of a jet fighter crash. The road was blackened and dotted with two enormous craters.
As The Australian looked over the truck ruins, high-ranking Lebanese military officers arrived to inspect the damage.
"Why would an Australian be interested in this?" a brigadier asked suspiciously, before trying to open the rear door of the only truck left intact.
Hezbollah is believed to have only a few Zilzal missiles, which are among the most advanced in the Iranian armoury. It has a range of up to 200km, bringing Tel Aviv, or the nearby city of Herzilya, well into range.
Hezbollah has so far fired more than 1500 rockets at Israel since the conflict erupted and Israel claims to have destroyed only a fifth of the group's capability.
The Iranian Defence chief yesterday praised the actions of Hezbollah fighters, whom Tehran has financed and supported for the past decade.
Major General Hasan Firuzabadi, head of the Iranian Armed Forces General Command Headquarters, said the organisation's "surprising defensive operations have harmed the Zionist entity".
"The operation against an Israeli missile-boat, near the Beirut coastline, had great military significance," he continued.
Four Israeli sailors were killed in the attack and a warship severely damaged.
The Iranian Foreign Minister is in Damascus where he is believed to be holding discussions with Syrian officials about leaning on Hezbollah to scale back attacks, for fear of an imminent regional conflict.
More than 170 Lebanese civilians have now been killed, along with 20 Israelis. Hundreds more have been wounded on both sides, while up to 25 Lebanese soldiers have also been killed.
Israel has continued to reject calls for a ceasefire, insisting it will destroy Hezbollah in southern Lebanon and then create a buffer zone to ensure it does not return.
