Militia desertions claimed

JERUSALEM - Israel has gained the upper hand over the Iranian-backed Hizbullah militia in south Lebanon because of a spate of…

JERUSALEM - Israel has gained the upper hand over the Iranian-backed Hizbullah militia in south Lebanon because of a spate of desertions from the Shia Muslim group, a senior Israeli army officer said yesterday.

"A new situation has arisen in south Lebanon which has given us a clear superiority over Hizbullah," said Brig Gen Eli Amitai, head of the Israeli force which controls a "security zone" inside south Lebanon.

He said Hizbullah was leading fewer attacks against the "security zone," and that Israeli forces had also found more effective ways of combating the group, both militarily and on the intelligence level.