LEBANON: AL Manar TV says no Hizbollah leaders were killed during an Israeli raid on Beirut's southern suburbs.

Hizbollah denied Israeli reports that its leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah was believed to be in a bunker in southern Beirut at the time of a major Israeli air strike on the facility. The Israeli Maariv newspaper's NRG Web site quoted a senior military source, speaking after the raid late on Wednesday, as saying information obtained by security forces had shown Nasrallah was there. But in Beirut, Hizbollah said none of its leaders were killed during the Israeli raid on the bunker. "The following is a statement from Hizbollah: Hizbollah denies that any of its leaders or personnel have been killed in the latest airstrike on a building in beirut, which the army of the enemy has claimed to be a hide out for the leaders or Hizbollah," the group said in a statement faxed to Reuters read on Al Manar television. It said the building targeted in the raid was a mosque under construction and not a bunker housing Hizbollah leaders as Israel said. The building which was hit with a 23 tonne bomb is a mosque under construction. The enemy is trying to hide its military and security failures through lies and illusionary achievements. This is the end of the statement." The Israeli army would say only it suspected senior Hizbollah members were holed up there. An Israeli military source said dozens of aircraft took part in the operation sometime before midnight on Wednesday, dropping 23 tonnes of explosives on the bunker.

ITN Source | July 20, 2006

Tags:. .trying. .al. .web. .during. .reuters