Sultan Yacoub
Encyclopedia
Sultan Yacoub is a Lebanese
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...

 village in the eastern Beqaa Valley
Beqaa Valley
The Beqaa Valley is a fertile valley in east Lebanon. For the Romans, the Beqaa Valley was a major agricultural source, and today it remains Lebanon’s most important farming region...

, about seven kilometers (four miles) from the border with Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....

http://www.meforum.org/meib/articles/0209_s1.htm. 33°38′36"N 35°51′35"E

Battle in the Lebanon War

The battle for Sultan Yacoub, part of the Lebanon War
Lebanon War
The term Lebanon War can refer to any of the following wars, fought in Lebanon:*Lebanese Civil War *Hundred Days' War 1978 *1982 Lebanon War...

, occurred on June 12, 1982. During the battle, a column of Israel Defense Forces
Israel Defense Forces
The Israel Defense Forces , commonly known in Israel by the Hebrew acronym Tzahal , are the military forces of the State of Israel. They consist of the ground forces, air force and navy. It is the sole military wing of the Israeli security forces, and has no civilian jurisdiction within Israel...

 (IDF) armored vehicles were ambushed at a narrow pass near the Beqaa Valley by the Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....

ns http://www.mia.org.il/archive/040216jpb.html. Eighteen IDF soldiers died in the battle, which was viewed as an Israeli intelligence failure
Intelligence Failure
Intelligence Failure is the eighth studio album of the actor Viggo Mortensen and seventh with the avant-garde guitarist Buckethead, released on 2005. The album combines traditional and original compositions, as well as clips of public speeches, most notably of George W. Bush and members of his...

. Three IDF soldiers remain unaccounted for.
The three soldiers were captured by Lebanese Hezbollah and were paraded through Damascus held on top of their captured tank. Time Magazine reporter Dean Brelis testified to having seen the 3 captives alive at the time. Among the three is an American Citizen named Zachary Baumel who remains missing as are Yehuda Katz and Zvi Feldman.

Syrian Influence

After the evacuation of Lebanon in April, 2005 by Syria, Sultan Yacoub remains a focal point of tension over sovereigntyhttp://yalibnan.com/site/archives/2005/09/heavily_armed_p.php.
The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine
Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine
The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine is a Palestinian Marxist-Leninist organisation founded in 1967. It has consistently been the second-largest of the groups forming the Palestine Liberation Organization , the largest being Fatah...

-General Command has a base nearby the village, and dozens of PFLP-GC have been caught trying to sneak illegally across the Beqaa Valley to Sultan Yacoub http://www.meib.org/articles/0209_s1.htm.

Rocket Attacks on Israel

In May, 2006, three to eight Katyusha rockets were fired at northern Israel from Lebanonhttp://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3255741,00.html. The IDF responded by with a missile strike on the PFLP base at Sultan Yacoub.
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