WRAP Israeli artillery fire in Northern Israel, tanks mass next to border

(22 Jul 2006) SHOTLIST Kiryat Shmona, Israel - 22 July 2006 1. Israeli artillery firing shell 2. Smoke rising in distance, AUDIO of explosion 3. Various of Israeli soldiers carrying shells and walking about near cannons 3. Israeli artillery firing shell 4. Israeli soldiers covering ears AUDIO of hell being fired 5. Israeli artillery firing shell Near village of Maroun A-Ras - 22 July 2006 6. Various of long shots of border area, AUDIO of shelling 7. Wide of Israeli tanks parked at roadside, AUDIO of gunfire and shelling 8. Zoom of Israeli soldier praying AUDIO of shelling 9. Wide shot of Israeli tanks parked by roadside, AUDIO of big explosion 10. Large plume of smoke rising nearby 11. Plume of smoke, AUDIO of shelling Near Avivim, northern Israel - 22 July 2006 12. Israeli armoured vehicles parked by roadside STORYLINE Israeli aircraft and artillery pounded targets in southern Lebanon on Saturday, apparently focusing on sectors across the border from where Israel's army has massed tanks and troops. Plumes of smoke could be seen at several locations on the Lebanese side of the border and shelling could be heard. Roads and villages near the Blue Line defining the border between Israel and Lebanon were bombed throughout the night, witnesses said. Attacks seemed to focus around the large village of Maroun al-Ras on the Lebanese side of the border, they said. Several Israeli soldiers - backed by artillery and tank fire - moved into Maroun al-Ras, military officials said on condition of anonymity citing the sensitivity of the information. Afterward, as some of them returned, officials said the village was under Israeli control. But Lebanese security sources, who also spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the information, said that the Israeli military had made incursions of only a few hundred metres (yards) into Maroun al-Ras and Yaroun villages. Israeli armour was seen parked on a road near Maroun al-Ras on Saturday with one soldier praying for Sabbath. The raid was part of Israel's wider strategy of running a "limited" ground operation aimed at destroying Hezbollah's tunnels, hideouts and weapons stashes in south Lebanon. Hezbollah has fired hundreds of rockets at northern Israeli towns from north of the Lebanese border, killing 16 civilians and forcing hundreds of thousands of Israelis to repeatedly flee into bunkers. The Lebanese health ministry reported 362 deaths in Lebanon so far in the onslaught, an increase of 55 since it release figures on Thursday. Thirty-four Israelis also have been killed, including 18 soldiers and an air force officer killed Friday in the collision of two helicopters. The Israeli offensive was sparked when Hezbollah guerrillas captured two Israeli soldiers in a cross-border raid on July 12 Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...