Israel-Hezbollah War: Heavy Fighting in Bint Jbail

The IDF has sustained casualties in intense fighting -some of it close-quarter-combat - with Hezbollah terrorists in the village of Bint Jbail in Lebanon.

Israel Channel 2 reports 20 injured soldiers have arrived in a Haifa hospital for treatment. It also reports the possibility of more reserve call-ups. The danger in calling up more reserves lay in Syria's assumption that such a move would mean preparation for war with Syria - thus existentially escalating the chance for a broader war. Syrian military forces have been put on a higher state of alert. Syria has Iranian and Russian-made missiles and rockets in its stockpiles, as well as tanks, apc's and an air force.

According the the CIA World Factbook:

Syrian available manpower: males age 18-49: 4,356,413 females age 18-49: 4,123,339 (2005 est.)
Syrian manpower fit for service: males age 18-49: 3,453,888
females age 18-49: 3,421,558 (2005 est.)

Extensive information on the Syrian military is available at GlobalSecurity.org.

As of 2003 Syria had a combined total of several hundred Scud and SS-21 SRBMs [short-range ballistic missiles], and is believed to have chemical warheads available for a portion of its Scud missile force. Syria's missiles are mobile and can reach much of Israel from positions near their peacetime garrisons and portions of Iraq, Jordan, and Turkey from launch sites well within the country.