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Haifa, Israel: At least eight people were killed and 20 wounded when Lebanese millitant group Hezbollah fired a barrage of rockets on the Israeli town of Haifa on Sunday. The attack was the deadliest missile attack by the Lebanese group in more than a decade. Most of the dead were railway employees who had just arrived at the train depot to start work. Television reports showed scenes of blood on smashed rail compartments. Residents of Haifa, a city of 250,000 people that lies 35 km (20 miles) south of the Lebanese border, rushed to bomb shelters after the strike as sirens blared across the city. "There was a lot of panic, people were shouting and screaming," said resident Noga Westerlund, 26.
Hezbollah claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it had fired "dozens" of longer-range, Iranian-made "Raad 2 and Raad 3" rockets in retaliation for Israeli attacks on Lebanon's infrastructure and the killing of civilians. Over 100 Lebanese civilians, including children have been killed by Israeli bombing raids over the last few days. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said the attacks would have "far-reaching consequences", saying Israel was not about to bend to Hezbollah pressure. In the past, Israel has said that attacking Haifa would be crossing a "red line".
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