Israeli drones attack a vehicle near Syria Lebanon border

(April 16) Israeli drones fired two missiles at a vehicle in southern Syria on Wednesday near the border between Syria and Lebanon. Israel said the attack target Hezbollah member. Early reports claim there were no Hezbollah casualties.

Israel claims that Hezbollah is increasingly present in south Syria

Hezbollah, a Shi'ite political party and militant group based in Lebanon, is a target of Israeli attacks along with other Shi'ite groups in Syria. Israel argues that the entrenchment of Hezbollah and other Shi'ite group inside areas controlled by the Assad government poses a threat to Israel's long term military interests in the region. There are likely to be more attacks after these.

Hezbollah has claimed that its members managed to escape the attack. An anonymous source told AFP: "An Israeli drone first struck near a car transporting Hezbollah members The passengers got out before it was then directly hit in a second strike." The source added that there were no casualties.

Syrian state media report

Syrian state media confirmed that there was a drone attack by Israel on the vehicle but did not mention that there were Hezbollah members in it. Their report said that the attack damaged the vehicle but everyone inside survived.

Israel claims Hezbollah working with Assad

The drone attack came only a week after Israel's military released video it claims shows Syrian officers and Hezbollah members working together on the edge of the Israeli occupied Golan Heights. Israel has warned for some time about what It calls Iran and Hezbollah's "entrenchment" in southern Syria close to Israeli army positions. Israel has carried out several drone attacks near the Golan heights targeting Hezbollah fighters and Syrians working with them.

Previously published in the Digital Journal

Israeli rockets strike near Damascus airport

(April 27)Syrian opposition sources claim that Israeli strikes hit an arms depot operated by Hezbollah near Damascus airport. Witnesses said there were five strikes, near the airport road about 25 kilometers from Damascus.

Syrian state TV also quoted military sources as claiming that rockets fired from Israeli territory had targeted a military area in the southwestern part of the airport that caused huge explosions. Photos were posted on line showing a large fire near the area.

Al Jazeera's Hashern Ahelbarran said:"We do understand that the Israelis have been carrying out strikes in the past. The last one was in January targeting the Mezze military base. In 2015 they also launched attacks near the capital Damascus and in the Golan Heights, killing two prominent Hezbollah commanders, including Jihad Mughniya who is the son of the top military commander of Hezbollah Imad Mughniya who was also killed in Damascus in 2008."

While Israel has not officially accepted responsibility for the act, Israeli Intelligence Minister, Israel Katz, told Israeli Army Radio:"I can confirm that the incident in Syria corresponds completely with Israel's policy to act to prevent Iran's smuggling of advanced weapons via Syria to Hezbollah ... Naturally, I don't want to elaborate on this. The prime minister has said that whenever we receive intelligence that indicated an intention to transfer advanced weapons to Hezbollah, we will act."Yoav Galant, the Israeli construction minister, also declined to confirm the attack but said on TV: “Our enemies must know: We will know to use our power to protect our interests by ourselves.”

An intelligence source told Reuters the depot that was targeted handles a significant number of weapons that Tehran, a major regional ally of Syria, sends by air to help Hezbollah and others. Israel has carried out attacks a number of times with complete impunity it seems. In May of 2013, it struck three areas in Damascus suburbs, allegedly to destroy Iranian rockets it claimed were being delivered to Hezbollah. The airport was also hit. In 2016, in January the Syrian army reported that Israel targeted the Mezze airbase just a few kilometers from the Royal Palace. The Syrian government warned this January that it would retaliate against any attack targeting its own area but does nothing. Al-Manar TV, which is linked to Hezbollah said that the raid struck fuel tanks and a warehouse near the Damascus International Airport. It said that there was material, damage but no reported deaths as yet. Just a few days ago an Israeli attack on a Syrian camp near the Golan heights killed three.

Russia criticized the strikes saying that Israel and other countries should avoid doing anything that heightened tension in the region. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said: "We consider that all countries should avoid any actions that lead to higher tensions in such a troubled region and call for Syrian sovereignty to be respected." Peskov said that Russia and Israel were in constant contact concerning the situation Peskov maintained. In other words, Israel was probably assured that Russia would take no action after the attack it would appear. If Putin were like Trump he would unilaterally attack the positions from which the rockets were launched in Israel. Russia has spoken out strongly not only against the recent US strikes on a Syrian airbase but against Turkish strikes on Kurdish positions. However, it has not taken significant action it would seem.

A spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, said Russia thought these airstrikes played into the hands of militant groups and complicated the search for a political solution in Syria. The Islamic State (IS) apparently even apologized for firing on Israeli troops! Zakharova said Russia also considered the attacks an act of aggression against Syria. She claimed they were unacceptable and against the principles and norms of international law. Yet there is no hint that Russia will respond even if such attacks occur again. Russia had issued warnings after an earlier attack but has failed to follow through. Apparently no Israeli airplanes entered Syria during the strikes. Will there be any condemnations and criticism from western leaders or will the event just quickly disappear from the news altogether?

US and Russian Defence ministers in talks on Syria

U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter and Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoygu held talks on Syria. The Pentagon said the two discussed areas where U.S. and Russian "perspective overlap and areas of divergence."

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Russia together with Iran have long been allies of the Assad government in Syria and have provided considerable material help. The Lebanese group Hezbollah has also aided the regime by supplying many fighters. The extent of Russian forces on the ground is not clear, although they no doubt have special forces and trainers to teach the Syrians how to use equipment. The Russians have long had a naval base in the port of Tartarus in Syria.

Both the U.S. and Russians are anxious to prevent any possible conflict between U.S. and Russian forces. The U.S. and its allies have carried out an extensive bombing campaign against the Islamic State in Syria without ever seeking permission from the Syrian government to do so. Assad has tolerated these incursions. No doubt he could do little to prevent them and they help to defeat the Islamic State one of his many rebel enemies. At the same time, support for the Kurds by the U.S. helps a group which for tactical reasons has remained more or less neutral in attitude to the Assad government.

The Kurds appear more concerned with solidifying their hold on territory they occupy rather than fighting Assad. Very early on in the civil war the Assad regime decided to leave the Kurds alone, providing they did not seize territory from Assad or attack regime forces. This Kurd policy is just one more conflict the Turks have with the Kurds and the U.S., who supports them. The Kurds are gaining territory as the IS loses ground, creating a larger Kurdish area that will demand more autonomy or even independence in any political settlement. The Turks have agreed to join the fight against the IS and allowed the U.S. to use an airbase in Turkey but most of Turkish bombing missions are against Kurdish PKK positions in Iraq.

While the U.S. supports the Kurds against the IS in spite of their toleration of Assad, it draws the line at any coordination of its actions with Assad or to have the Russians also help out in the campaign. State Department spokesperson Mark Toner said that in the talks, the U.S. was trying to find out the intentions of Russia in Syria as there are reports of a military build-up including the arrival of tactical fighter planes. Toner said:“We’ve been very clear we don’t accept Russia’s premise that somehow Assad can be a credible partner in fighting ISIL. We reject that.” No doubt the U.S. worries about alienating Syrian rebels, even more by not only helping Assad but clearly cooperating with him. As far as the fight against the Islamic State is concerned, the help of the Assad regime and Russia would no doubt aid in defeating the group. In spite of differences the U.S., Syria and Russia have cooperated in the past. The disposal of Assad's chemical weapons was a successful operation by all three.

Carter emphasized that the military talks should go on with parallel diplomatic talks. The tasks of defeating the Islamic State and reaching a political solution should happen at the same time. One huge problem is that there is a disconnect with the transitional political groups set up by the west, many secular, and the mainly jihadist groups on the ground. The latter are not likely to pursue any political solution before the defeat of Assad, and any political solution reached without their agreement will be unenforceable.

Russia appears to be reinforcing its support for the Assad regime as it seemingly loses some ground against the rebels. The refugee crisis appears to be putting pressure on the west to stop the war and find a political solution if possible. Russia wants its ally to be in a relatively strong position when negotiations take place. This would explain the buildup described in the Wall Street Journal:Defense officials said over the past two weeks Russia has stepped up development of an airfield near the port city of Latakia by sending in housing for up to 2,000 people, attack and transport helicopters, artillery, tanks and armored personnel carriers. The jets, believed to be Sukhoi Su-27s, which are designed for air-to-air combat, could be used to challenge U.S. planes flying over Syria or to help Syrian forces defending the Assad regime.The buildup could also be used as a means of deterring the U.S. from any move to attack the Assad regime directl,y as rebels have long been urging. Given the Russian experience in Afghanistan and US experience in Iraq, the Russians may not want "boots on the ground" in Syria but will follow US policy of having special forces, trainers, and advisers. However, the Russians did say if Syria requested troops it would consider sending them. The Russians claim their military build-up is purely defensive.

Hezbollah claims to have killed 2 IS commanders near Lebanon Syria border

Al-Manar TV operated by Hezbollah reports that two Islamic State commanders together with at least seven other militants were killed on the outskirts of the northeastern Lebanese border town of Arsal in two separate attacks.

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The attacks took place on Friday June 19. One commander, Abu Aisha al-Libi along with six other militants were killed when Hezbollah forces targeted a militant meeting. The aim of the meeting was to plan an offensive on the outskirts of the city of Baalbek, the TV station claimed.

The same Hezbollah group destroyed two convoys of IS fighters in the same area. This second attack was said to have killed another IS commander, Abu Akrama al-Zouhouri, as well as another IS fighter. Last week Hezbollah lost eight fighters in repelling an attack on the Lebanon border. The Islamic State is said to have lost around 50 militants in that battle.

Hezbollah is a Shi'a Islamist militant group with its own militia and political party in Lebanon. It is supported by Iran. It has many seats in the Lebanese government and together with its allies has a virtual veto power over legislation. It has its own radio and TV station. Since 2012 Hezbollah has helped the Assad government against rebels in the civil war. Hezbollah has historically been regarded as a strong resistance movement against Israel, but its involvement in the Syrian civil war has been criticized by many in Lebanon, especially Sunnis since Assad's government is dominated by a Shi'a sect.

Al Manar reported that last Tuesday, the "emir" of the Qalamoun region, Abu-Baghdadi was killed in shelling also on the outskirts of Arsal. Hezbollah together with the Syrian army also took fresh territory near the government-held town of Jarajeer killing and wounding many militants. Hezbollah together with the Syrian army have been fighting both the Islamic State and the Al-Qaeda-linked Nusra Front for more than a month, slowly driving them out of many areas. The Assad regime with Hezbollah now controls about two thirds of the area. A source claimed to be close to Hezbollah says that at least 39 Hezbollah fighters, and 244 militants have been killed since the offensive was launched last May 4. Rebel militants are now confined to part of the northern Qalamoun hills on the eastern outskirts of the towns of Arsal and Ras Baalbek. Hasan Nasrallah, Hezbollah chief, vowed he would drive the Islamic State from the area.

Israel attack in Syria kills several Hezbollah fighters includng important leader.

Damascus - Several fighters from the Lebanese Shia militia Hezbollah were killed in an attack by an Israeli helicopter in the Syrian province of Quneitra. Different casualty figures are given but a Hezbollah statement said that six fighters had been killed.

One of the dead was Jihad Mughniyeh , the son of Imad Mughniyeh, who was killed in Damascus in 2008 in a suspected attack by Israel. The attack took place on Sunday near the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights as the Israeli helicopter fired missiles at Imad's car. This attack came just a few days after Hassan Nasrallah, the Secretary General of Hezbollah, threatened to retaliate against any Israeli attack either in Lebanon or Syria. He added that the group had missiles that could strike anywhere in Israel. Muhamad Issa, chief of Hezbollah operations in Syria was also reported as among those killed in the attack. Nicole Johnston of Al Jazeera also confirmed Issa was killed: "Mohamad Issa, the chief of Hezbollah operations in Syria, who died in the air strike, is also a big name, making this a major strike on Hezbollah. The group says there will be retaliation for the attack." 

 The Iranian news site Tabnak claims that several Iranian troops were also killed in the assault. Hezbollah and some Iranian fighters are aiding Assad's forces to fight against Syrian rebel groups. Israeli Channel 10 TV quoted an Israeli official source as confirming that Israel was responsible for the attack. An Al Jazeera correspondent in Jordan claims that this is the 7th Israeli attack on Syria close to the Israeli border since the civil war began. 

A columnist at an-Nahar in Lebanon said that the Israeli attack may have been in response to Nasrallah's earlier speech. He thought that Hezbollah would retaliate in some way. Al Manar TV, run by Hezbollah said Israel was "playing with fire that puts the security of the whole Middle East on edge." A Hezbollah statement said of the attack: "While a group of Hezbollah fighters were on a field inspection of the town, Mazrat al-Amal, ... they faced rocket shelling from helicopters of the Israeli enemy, leading to the martyrdom of a number of holy warrior brothers, whose names will be announced once their honorable families have been informed." There has been no official comment from the Israeli military as yet. Imad Salmey, a Lebanese political analyst, thought that Hezbollah would not want to fight on another front by attacking from Lebanon, and if it attacked from Syria it risked more attacks on its Syrian operations. 

 If only to save face, Hezbollah may feel that it must retaliate against continued Israeli attacks that are happening with complete impunity in spite of the fact that Israel knows that Hezbollah has formidable resources to attack Israel. Former Israeli national security adviser Maj. Gen. Yaakov Amidror estimates Hezbollah has an arsenal of more that 150,000 missiles and rockets, including surface-to-sea missiles, anti-aircraft missiles, modern anti-tank missiles and even drones. Pentagon officials claim that Hezbollah has 50,000 missiles including some capable of hitting Tel Aviv. Israel's actions could result in a dangerous escalation that could engulf the Middle East in a new war.

The Cause of New War Jitters in Israel and Lebanon

Interesting that Israel is in effect adopting a strategy of collective punishment and will regard Lebanon as a whole as the enemy if there is a war. This may very well be the advantage of Lebanon and if Israel uses this strategy in a way that causes a large number of civilian casualties it may hurt international support. However the US under pressure from the Israel lobby is likely to go along no matter what. However relations with countries such as Turkey may suffer a death blow. As the article notes Lebanon is enjoying relative calm and tourism has greatly improved. Also, Israel has not be attacked for the most part and is also enjoying the relative peace so perhaps peace will prevail even though tensions remain..This is from this site.


What's behind renewed war jitters in Israel, Lebanon?
By Nicholas Blanford Nicholas Blanford
Beirut, Lebanon – A renewed flurry of threats and warnings between Israeli officials and the leaders of Lebanon’s militant Shiite organization Hezbollah have sparked a serious bout of war jitters on both sides of the border which are also threatening to draw in other regional players. Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman publicly warned Syrian President Bashar al-Assad today that getting involved in a Lebanon-Israel conflict would result in the disintegration of his regime.

Though Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu then sought to smooth Syria's feathers, reiterating his country's desire for restarting peace talks, tensions are running high over a possible conflict with its neighbors. Israeli leaders grumble about Hezbollah’s military build-up since their month-long war in July 2006 and warn of a massive blow against Lebanon in the event of another clash. Hezbollah’s leadership remains defiant, saying they’re ready for another confrontation and confident of victory against the Jewish state.

The saber-rattling from both sides is part of the relentless psychological war between the two bitter foes, and shows that tensions continue to exist despite the fact that the border between them has experienced its longest period of calm in more than four decades. The United Nations peacekeeping force in south Lebanon, known as UNIFIL, says there is no indication that another war is imminent.

“The most important part is the continued political will and commitment of the parties to maintain the cessation of hostilities,” says Milos Strugar, a senior advisor to UNIFIL. “In all our contacts with all sides this will and commitment is continually reinforced and strongly emphasized by everyone.”

Lebanon wants to preserve newfound stabilityBut the worries in Lebanon are heartfelt, particularly as the country is enjoying its first period of relative political stability in five years. In 2009 Lebanon received a record 1.9 million tourists, whose spending contributed about 20 percent of gross domestic product. Another calm summer could witness yet even greater numbers of tourists visiting this tiny Mediterranean country.

Ghazi Aridi, the transport minister, said recently that the atmosphere in Lebanon is similar to the period prior to Israel’s invasion in 1982 which was widely expected for months beforehand.

“Everyone has to work for enhancing national unity and preparing the ground to face any Israeli aggression,” he said in an interview with Lebanon’s Future Television.

Despite the jitters and the rhetoric from both sides of the border, neither Hezbollah nor Israel appear anxious to embark upon a new round of fighting. Analysts suggest that the spark for a new conflict could come from an incident along the border that flares out of control, such as a rocket attack into Israel. There have been seven isolated firings of short-range rockets into Israel since 2006, all of them suspected of being the work of either Al-Qaeda-affiliated factions or rogue Palestinian groups.

Another trigger factor: IranThe other potential trigger factor is related to developments in Iran. A move by Israel or the West to attack Iranian nuclear facilities could result in a backlash along the Lebanon-Israel border, or a preemptive strike by Israel against Hezbollah. Some analysts suggest that Iranian leaders may seek to ignite a confrontation with Israel as a means of deflating mounting internal pressure against the regime in Tehran. While Hezbollah is ideologically and financially committed to Iran, the group’s leaders also are sensitive to the interests of their Lebanese Shiite support base, which is still recovering from the 2006 war and would not relish more destruction being visited on their families, homes and livelihoods.

Expectations of another war between Hezbollah and Israel began the moment the last one ended inconclusively in August 2006. During that month-long conflict, Hezbollah’s militants proved tougher than the ill-prepared Israeli army anticipated. Hezbollah proclaimed a “divine victory” but lost its military autonomy over the southern Lebanon border district. Israel was widely seen as having lost the war, but has benefited from a peaceful border since.

Since then Israel has retrained its army, developed and introduced new technology to cope with Hezbollah’s rockets and anti-tank missiles and drawn up a new strategy for dealing with its Lebanese foe.

Israeli officials have warned that in the event of another war they will treat Lebanon as their enemy rather than just Hezbollah, particularly since Hezbollah joined Lebanon’s coalition government in November, a move that has blurred the distinction between the state and the Shiite group.

“For practical reasons we cannot beat Hezbollah. We have to define Lebanon as our enemy,” says Giora Eiland, a former Israeli national security advisor during the premiership of Ariel Sharon. “The Lebanese government must know that it has only two possibilities: One, to let the relative calm continue, and, two, that a war will devastate Lebanon.”

Dubbed the “Dahiyah doctrine” after Hezbollah’s southern Beirut stronghold, which was heavily bombed in 2006, it calls for attacking roads, bridges and power stations as well as Lebanese army bases and population centers that support Hezbollah.

“The strategic objective in the next war is to understand that you cannot solve the problem in one step,” says Shlomo Brom, a former director of the Israeli army’s Strategic Planning Branch. “The only way of solving the problem is occupying Lebanon and kicking Hezbollah out. It is not easy and Israel is not willing to pay that price.”

The doctrine amounts to using collective punishment to discourage Lebanon’s continued tolerance of Hezbollah’s armed status.

Hezbollah's fresh battle plansHezbollah has prepared fresh battle plans of its own amid an unprecedented rearming, recruiting and training drive since 2006. It reportedly has 40,000 rockets now, more than double the figure prior to 2006.

Among Hezbollah’s new rocket systems is the Syrian M-600, with a longer range and more accuracy than past models, according to US and European intelligence sources. Hezbollah militants have hinted at staging cross-border raids to attack military and civilian targets. That would be unprecedented in the history of the Arab-Israeli conflict.

“You will see next time that maybe the UN will ask us to withdraw from northern Israel rather than asking Israel to withdraw from south Lebanon,” says Abu Khalil, a 22-year Hezbollah veteran.

Many Hezbollah fighters say the next conflict with Israel will lead to the destruction of the Jewish state. Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah’s leader, recently predicted that in the next war his group “will defeat the enemy and change the face of the region.”

Still, analysts say that the stakes are so high and the level of mutual destruction so great that neither Hezbollah nor Israel are looking for another confrontation.

“I don’t think Israel is willing to have a war right now and I don’t think Hezbollah is itching for a fight either,” says Timur Goksel, a former senior UNIFIL official. “Yes, Israel can trash Lebanon, but it will be very expensive for Israel too. Hezbollah will fire all over the place and there will be many more [Israeli] casualties than in 2006.”

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US Faces Dilemma as Lebanon Elections Loom

The real purpose of aid to Lebanon is made clear in this article: to shore up support for US policies. Since Hezbollah is branded as a terrorist organisation of course military and probably most other aid will be cut off. The US loves rhetoric about democracy but when the reality is that democracy produces regimes inimical to US policy every attempt is made to destroy them. This is evident in the case of Hezbollah in Lebanon and even more so with Hamas in Gaza. The US also remains on friendly terms with autocratic regimes such as Saudi Arabia which also are neanderthal when it comes to women's rights.


US Faces Dilemma as Lebanon Elections Loom
Experts Say US Will Pull Military Aid if Opposition Wins
by Jason Ditz, June 04, 2009
With the Lebanese election just days away, the Hezbollah-led opposition is still seen likely to make major gains, potentially enough to seize power. Should that happen, a US government that has been pumping hundreds of millions of dollars in military aid into the Mediterranean nation will be facing an uncomfortable choice.
Experts say the US will definitely kill off the military aid program in the event of a Hezbollah victory, following through on its pledge that it will have no dealings with Hezbollah. Yet they say the US is unlikely to completely abandon relations with Lebanon in that event, fearing Iran may step in to fill any void left by the US.
Last month, Vice President Joe Biden visted Lebanon, and while he insisted that he “did not come here to back any institution or political party,” he made it very clear that US aid to the nation was contingent on the Lebanese voters not electing the opposition.
While Hezbollah is officially designated as a terrorist organization by the US, and has a reputation as a hawkish Islamist faction, its opposition bloc also includes a good percentage of the nation’s Christian voters, and its campaign has emphasized support for the nation’s religious diversity.

Al Qaeda urges fight against Hezbollah in Lebanon

This is from presstv.ir
So Al Qaeda will fight against Hezbollah. Maybe the US will take Al-Qaeda off the terrorist list and provide it with arms for the fight or will Israel do it first!!

Al-Qaeda has reportedly called on its operatives to go to Lebanon and defend what it called the Sunni community of the country. The report came while some Arab media outlets described the current clashes in Lebanon as a fight between Sunni and Shia communities. In an interviews with Sunni clerics with links to Saad Hariri's pro-government bloc, Al-Arabiya TV network described the ongoing clashes as a sectarian strife. Sheikh Ali al-Jozo, Mufti of the Jebel region, who is well known for his harsh stance against Hezbollah told the TV network that the clashes are a battle between Lebanon's Shia and Sunni communities and called on Arab leaders to prevent "Iran's influence in the country." The TV network reported that al-Qaeda on all of its websites urged its operatives to defend the Sunni community of Lebanon. The reports came while in interviews with NBN and al-Manar TV stations on Thursday, a number of Sunni clerics said that the clashes are not a sectarian strife and many Sunni Muslims in Lebanon support Hezbollah. RE/RE

Hezbollah in control of West Beirut

This is from Al Jazeera. The government has put itself in a difficult position after challenging Hezbollah. Peace in Lebanon depends upon accomodation with Hezbollah. Perhaps the U.S. or other western nations are pressing the government to weaken Hezbollah but this action may provoke civil war. Already it has put part of Beirut under control of Hezbollah. Perhaps negotiations can work something out before events get out of control.


Hezbollah in control of west Beirut
At least 11 people were killed as clashes intensify in Beirut [Reuters]
Clashes have again erupted on the streets of Beirut, the Lebanese capital, as Hezbollah takes control of large areas of the capital from groups loyal to the government following gun battles.

The building of Future TV network, owned by Saad Hariri, a prominent pro-government politician, was set alight in continued violence on Friday.
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The street battles, which first erupted on Wednesday, have so far left at least 11 people dead and 20 others wounded.Lebanese troops began taking up positions in some neighbourhoods in west Beirut abandoned by the pro-government groups.
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The army has largely avoided getting involved in the street battles amid fears of being dragged into the conflict.

Earlier in the day, a rocket-propelled grenade struck the fence of the heavily protected residence of Saad Hariri in the suburb of Koreitem, a Muslim area of western Beirut.
Hariri, leader of the Future bloc, the biggest party in Lebanon's governing coalition,was believed to be inside at the time but unhurt.

Earlier, armed men loyal to Hezbollah forced Future News, the news channel of the Future group, off the air in Beirut.
"Armed gunmen surrounded the building, stormed into the garage and demanded that the army shut down the station," a senior TV official said.
Future group targeted
Security sources said Hezbollah and fighters from the allied Amal movement - both Shia groups - had overrun offices of Hariri's Future group across the predominantly Muslim western half of the Lebanese capital.
The headquarters of the Future group's Al-Mustaqbal daily was also surrounded by fighters firing rocket-propelled grenades, setting fire to one floor, its managing editor said.
Nadim Munla, the general manager of Future TV, told Al Jazeera that masked armed men entered the control rooms and cut off the cables.
"We have been effectively prevented from broadcasting and doing our jobs as media professionals," he said."Hezbollah ... have proven that the gun is stronger than the value of the opinion. We have only one thing left - free speech, and their guns will not silence us."
Lebanese troops evacuated the staff of the TV station's terrestrial and satellite studios in the Kantari area of western Beirut.
Meanwhile, in a statement seen as politically significant, Michel Aoun, a Christian leader allied with the Hezbollah-led opposition, has said that normalcy should be restored on the streets."The derailed carriage is now back on track. We hope from this point that things will fall back into the normal course [of events]," he said on Friday.Aoun said that he had sent a letter to Ban Ki-moon, the UN secretary-general, and various member states of the UN Security Council, but "did not find a clear response to avert the crisis".
Saudi pressure
Reports have also emerged that the Saudi ambassador to Lebanon advised Fouad Siniora, the Lebanese prime minister, to step down.
Al Jazeera's Rula Amin, reporting from Beirut, said: "This is a significant move considering that the Saudi government is a staunch supporter of the ruling coalition in Beirut.
Opposition fighters took rapid controlof many suburbs [AFP]"The Saudis see this as a dangerous situation that can escalate rapidly."Amin also conducted an exclusive interview with Walid Jumblatt, head of the Progressive Socialist Party, member of parliament, and leader of the country's Druze community.She said that Jumblatt did not regret his backing to remove the head of the country's airport security, whom the government accuses of being too close to Hezbollah."Jumblatt did not anticipate such a strong response from Hezbollah, and he is resigned to the fact that the group is much stronger than other armed militias," she said."He also said that the government should have undertaken these moves earlier, but predicts that the fighting will end soon."
Hezbollah control
In several neighbourhoods across the capital, automatic rifle fire could be heard in the worst domestic fighting since the 1975-90 civil war. Hezbollah also took control of all roads leading to Beirut's international airport, Lebanon's only air link to the outside world.
According to Elie Zakhour, a port official, Beirut's sea port was also shut down "until further notice" because of the situation, Lebanon's state-run National News Agency reported.
Tension between the government and Hezbollah escalated when the cabinet said the group's private phone network was illegal and an attack on the country's sovereignty.
Hezbollah said it was infuriated by government allegations it was spying on Beirut airport and by the cabinet's decision to fire the head of airport security.
Call for restraint
The fighting has prompted urgent appeals for calm from the international community.
Saudi Arabia and Egypt called for an urgent meeting of Arab foreign ministers to try to halt the violence.
"An emergency meeting of Arab foreign ministers in Cairo to discuss the crisis will be held in two days," Hossam Zaki, the Egyptian foreign ministery spokesman, said.
The UN Security Council also called for "calm and restraint", urging all sides to return to peaceful dialogue.
Syria said the dispute in Lebanon was an "internal affair" and expressed hope the feuding parties would find a solution through dialogue.