Israeli troops strike well into Lebanon

December 4, 1980

Israeli sea and ground forces struck more than 33 miles into Lebanon in a night raid, killing and wounding a number of Palestinian guerrillas before returning safely to base, the military command said. While Israeli gunboats shelled objectives from the sea, an Israeli force of undisclosed size operated north of the port of Sidon. The raid was described as part of the continuing campaign to prevent Palestinian attacks on Israeli territory. A spokesman called the raid the farthest north Israeli ground forces had ever attacked in Lebanon -- "at least in many, many years." Israeli newspapers called it the deepest raid ever.