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Last update - 04:53 30/08/2008
Hezbollah downs Lebanese chopper, thinking it Israeli
By Amos Harel, Haaretz Correspondent, and AP
Tags: Israel, Hezbollah, Lebanon

Hezbollah downed a Lebanese Army helicopter on Thursday in what Israeli officials believe was a case of mistaken identity: The Shi'ite militiamen apparently thought they were firing at an Israeli chopper.

The incident occurred as the helicopter flew over an area of southern Lebanon known to be a Hezbollah stronghold. The attack killed a navigator and forced the aircraft to make an emergency landing, Lebanese officials said.

Details about the incident were sketchy, as the military quickly sealed off the area. But a Lebanese Army statement said the helicopter was on a training mission when it came under fire from armed elements and was forced down in the highlands of the Iqlim al-Tuffah province. The helicopter was apparently flying at low altitude.
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The statement said 1st Lt. Samer Hanna, a navigator, was killed and that the aircraft was damaged. No one else in the crew was hurt and the army was investigating, it added.

Hezbollah declined to comment on the incident. The militant group has in the past condemned attacks against the military, with which it occasionally coordinates.

However, Israeli officials attributed the attack to Hezbollah, noting that the organization has recently been trying to improve its anti-aircraft capabilities with the goal of downing Israeli planes. They also said that Hezbollah has been on edge recently for fear of an Israeli attack.

The incident occurred north of the Litani River - outside the zone where United Nations peacekeepers operate - in a predominantly Shi'ite, apple-growing region southeast of the port city of Sidon. The locale is far from both the Syrian and the Israeli borders.

However, it is also a stronghold of Hezbollah, which is believed to have bases and concealed positions there that are off-limits to the general public and the media.

A top Shi'ite cleric, Sheik Abdul-Amir Kabalan, urged the army to investigate swiftly. He suggested that a collaborator with Israel may have fired on the aircraft.

Lebanese security officials said Israeli warplanes flew over southern Lebanon near Iqlim al-Tuffah both before and after Thursday's helicopter attack, in what were apparently reconnaissance missions.

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      1.   Lebanon nothing but a nest of perversion 11:27  |  Johnny 29/08/08
      2.   When idiots have weapons, idiotic things will happen. 12:06  |  Dan 29/08/08
      3.   #2 Dan 12:47  |  Persian Hero 29/08/08
      4.   funny you israeli posters mock them 12:57  |  ayboday 29/08/08
      5.   Hey Dan, never heard of friendly fire? 13:18  |  Ramin 29/08/08
      6.   Johnny in Stockholm 13:44  |  northern neighbor 29/08/08
      7.   5: Ramin doesn`t comprehend the term 13:52  |  David Teich 29/08/08
      8.   # 2 to dan re: "idiotic things" 14:07  |  eric 29/08/08
      9.   They got a taste of their own medecine..... 14:54  |  maurice 29/08/08
      10.   Lebanese army needs Hezbollah authorization to operate in South 15:01  |  POP 29/08/08
      11.   They are pure nerve since Israel put Hizb and Lbanon in same 15:18  |  JP 29/08/08
      12.   Hezbollah`s behaviour. 15:26  |  David Nigel Braham 29/08/08
      13.   #4 ayboday 15:34  |  * BEN JABO 29/08/08
      14.   *Persian Hero 15:40  |  Robin 29/08/08
      15.   POP - Hezbollah is supposed to be defending Lebanon 15:50  |  POP`S KEEPER 29/08/08
      16.   Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha 16:06  |  Conroy 29/08/08
      17.   #6 northern neighbor Lebanon isn`t even a country anymore 16:09  |  Conroy 29/08/08
      18.   the gang that can`t shoot straight 16:09  |  mike 29/08/08
      19.   Heartfelt condolences 16:13  |  ZISD 29/08/08
      20.   Doesn`t matter if it is mistaken identity or not 16:28  |  Chris Linthwaite 29/08/08
      21.   Pretty soon they`ll be bombing whole regiments of the Lebs` army 16:31  |  Truthteller 29/08/08
      22.   During the 2006 war.... 16:36  |  Natallie Durson 29/08/08
      23.   is hezbollah is a joke, then... 16:43  |  james 29/08/08
      24.   And where did he get this information? 16:44  |  Gershon Reed 29/08/08
      25.   Conroy in Philadelphia 16:53  |  northern neighbor 29/08/08
      26.   I thinks its matter, Chris, oh yeah. 17:14  |  JP 29/08/08
      27.   Natalies lives in past where is more confortble for her 17:16  |  JP 29/08/08
      28.   #21 Nutallie 17:22  |  * BEN JABO 29/08/08
      29.   #20 17:23  |  Robin 29/08/08
      30.   #19 LInthwaite - High time you finally learned 17:27  |  * BEN JABO 29/08/08
      31.   Hezbollah downs Lebanese chopper 17:34  |  Beth Lida 29/08/08
      32.   Just as the Jews... Oh Natallie...! 17:39  |  Israeli citizen 29/08/08
      33.   Natallie do get your facts straight. #21 17:53  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 29/08/08
      34.   19. Chris Linthwaite. On "downing "choppers. 18:20  |  Stephen 02/09/08
      35.   Hezbollah downs Lebanese chopper 18:29  |  Beth Lida 29/08/08
      36.   How much candy did these losers pass out and 18:36  |  Gina 29/08/08
      37.   #19 Linthwaite...go read yalibnan.com 18:45  |  Lynn 29/08/08
      38.   northern neighbor....how about those wells Syria is digging 18:54  |  Lynn 29/08/08
      39.   chris lightweight 19:03  |  Rory 29/08/08
      40.   Why are there two "armies" in Lebanon anyways? 20:19  |  Conroy 29/08/08
      41.   Thanks Lynn - Hezbullah throwing its weight around 21:47  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 29/08/08
      42.   Rory #28 Chris joined them already long time ago... 21:59  |  S 29/08/08
      43.   Hizballa Acknowledged They New it Was Lebanese 22:15  |  Amir 29/08/08
      44.   Chris Linthwaite - they didn`t actually 23:17  |  ChanahS 29/08/08
      45.   great job UN 00:46  |  vik 30/08/08
      46.   You can`t make this stuff up 02:09  |  Ramius 30/08/08
      47.   Gunmen turned in to the Leb authorities 02:11  |  ChanahS 30/08/08
      48.   A FALSE FLAG by the terrorists(not hezbollah) 04:04  |  VIPER 30/08/08
      49.   #48 VIPER....Hezbollah admitted they did this one 06:25  |  Lynn 30/08/08
      50.   Margie in Tel Aviv 07:16  |  Natallie Durson 30/08/08
      51.   Conroy re two armies 07:58  |  northern neighbor 30/08/08
      52.   #48 - Or ASP VIPE 08:15  |  JES 30/08/08
      53.   " collaborator with Israel may have fired " 08:31  |  Rufus Wadsworth III 30/08/08
      54.   Hizbollah thug shot the captain in COLD BLOOD.. 08:52  |  Omar 30/08/08
      55.   vik.. re destroying cities 09:48  |  ClearCut 30/08/08
      56.   IAF behind that? 10:31  |  Dav 30/08/08
      57.   Lebanese news flash 11:03  |  allang 30/08/08
      58.   #51 Northern Neighbor there IS no Lebanese nation 14:10  |  Conroy 30/08/08
      59.   Braham # 12 vanity misplaced 03:35  |  American in NY 31/08/08
      60.   #49, LYNN and his admittance 05:23  |  VIPER 31/08/08
      61.   #52, JES, dear oh dear, " a democracy that suits you only? 05:26  |  VIPER 31/08/08
      62.   NUTallie - you left out a few things about UNIFIL 19:08  |  * BEN JABO 31/08/08
      63.   Hezbanon, Hezbran, Hezbolistan. 06:38  |  Fortuna Benmayor 01/09/08
      64.   #61 - ASP VIPE, oh my, oh my 14:57  |  JES 01/09/08
      65.   #60 - LOL. Yes, ASP VIPE, we`ve all noticed 14:58  |  JES 01/09/08
      66.   #65, JES, get out now 02:50  |  VIPER 02/09/08
      67.   60-1: Viper`s delusions never end... (2nd try) 18:28  |  David Teich 02/09/08
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