Israeli hunters withdraw

Press, 24 February 1986, Page 6

Israeli hunters withdraw

NZPA-Reuter Tel Aviv

Israel has pulled back all forces searching for two missing soldiers to within its self-declared security zone in south Lebanon and the Israeli border. There was increasing concern in Israel that the extensive six-day search in Lebanon would prompt more anti-Israeli attacks by Lebanese Shi’ite Muslims. “Israel Defence Force troops have left the search area north of the security zone. The search for two missing soldiers will continue by other means,” an Army spokesman said. The Israeli Chief of Staff, Lieutenant-General Moshe Levi, said Israel was thinning its forces in

south Lebanon but would continue its search for the two soldiers until it had proof of their fate.

Israel State radio said Israeli forces had questioned 3000 people during its village searches, blown up the houses of several suspected members of the Sh’ite Muslim Hezbollah group, and uncovered large arms caches. Katyusha rockets fired from Lebanon by guerrillas retaliating against the searches crashed into northern Galilee in Israel overnight, but caused no damage, the army said. “Today, we are moving out from some areas we have been searching because we reached the conclusion we have nothing to find there,” General Levi told State radio.