4 Former SLA Members Enter Israeli-Controlled Shebaa Farms: RadioFour members of former Israeli-allied South Lebanon Army (SLA) crossed border fence and entered into Israeli-occupied Shebaa Farms Tuesday night, the Oriental radio reported.The four people are from southern Lebanese city of Hasbaya, the radio said, without revealing any other details. So far, there is no official reaction from the Lebanese authority, the report said. Since Israel occupied south Lebanon in 1978, the Israeli-backed SLA has helped the Jewish country control the region. The 2,500- strong militia collapsed days before Israel's withdrawal from south Lebanon on May 24, last year after a 22-year occupation. Most SLA members and their relatives entered into Israel with Israeli troops as they were afraid of retaliation from Lebanese resistance guerrillas. Hundreds of SLA members surrendered to the Lebanese army and most of them were sentenced to different jail terms ranging from months to years for collaborating with Israel. Before Lebanon celebrated the first anniversary of Israel's withdrawal last month, several houses of SLA members in southern Lebanon were destroyed by bombs and fire. The Shebaa Farms is a mountainous region at the Lebanese-Syrian borders which was occupied by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war. While Lebanon claims sovereignty over the Shebaa Farms, Israel says it captured the territory from Syria and that its future status will only be determined in the context of a peace treaty with Syria. |
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