Arafat under siege as Israel strikes

ISRAELI soldiers blew up three buildings in Yasser Arafat compound yesterday, rocking the office where he was holed up and sending huge clouds of smoke into the air.

The assault with tanks and bulldozers came in retaliation for a Tel Aviv bus bombing that killed six people.

Israel's defence minister said he wanted to isolate the Palestinian leader, but not harm or expel him. Bulldozers began digging a deep trench near Mr Arafat's office building, one of the last structures to remain standing in the sprawling complex.