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Lebanese and Israeli armies clash
By Benny Dugan
15 minutes ago
AVIVIM, Israel (Reuters) - Lebanese troops and an Israeli army patrol exchanged fire on their shared border on Wednesday in the first such incident since Lebanon deployed regular forces after
Israel's war against Hezbollah guerrillas.
A Reuters correspondent at the scene and Israeli security sources said the clash began after the Lebanese troops shot in the air as the patrol crossed a security fence near the border village of Avivim to search for explosives planted by Hezbollah.
"We called for them to stop firing, they shot at us and we returned fire," an Israeli source said, adding that the Israeli patrol had not crossed into Lebanese territory.
There were no casualties in the clash, which was confirmed by the Lebanese army.
"An Israeli bulldozer crossed into south Lebanon tonight. Our forces opened fire at it. It pulled back and there was a brief exchange of fire," a Lebanese army spokesman said.
A spokesman for UNIFIL, a U.N. peacekeeper force in southern Lebanon that was boosted after last year's war, confirmed the exchange was initiated by the Lebanese army after an Israeli bulldozer crossed the border fence "in an apparent attempt to clear mines between the Blue Line (border) and the fence."
"We characterize this as a serious incident between the Lebanese army and the IDF (Israeli Defense Forces)," the spokesman said.
"The UNIFIL commander ... was in contact with both sides urging them to cease hostilities and our current information is that around 10:30pm (2030 GMT) there was an end to the firing, but right now UNIFIL troops are deployed in the area."
Lebanon deployed its army along the frontier as part of a U.N.-brokered ceasefire that ended Israel's 34-day offensive against Hezbollah. The border has been largely quiet since then.
Israel ordered the searches around Avivim after discovering four explosive devices on the border on Monday. Israeli officials accused Hezbollah of planting the bombs recently, but Hezbollah said it planted them before the July-August war.
15 minutes ago
AVIVIM, Israel (Reuters) - Lebanese troops and an Israeli army patrol exchanged fire on their shared border on Wednesday in the first such incident since Lebanon deployed regular forces after
Israel's war against Hezbollah guerrillas.
A Reuters correspondent at the scene and Israeli security sources said the clash began after the Lebanese troops shot in the air as the patrol crossed a security fence near the border village of Avivim to search for explosives planted by Hezbollah.
"We called for them to stop firing, they shot at us and we returned fire," an Israeli source said, adding that the Israeli patrol had not crossed into Lebanese territory.
There were no casualties in the clash, which was confirmed by the Lebanese army.
"An Israeli bulldozer crossed into south Lebanon tonight. Our forces opened fire at it. It pulled back and there was a brief exchange of fire," a Lebanese army spokesman said.
A spokesman for UNIFIL, a U.N. peacekeeper force in southern Lebanon that was boosted after last year's war, confirmed the exchange was initiated by the Lebanese army after an Israeli bulldozer crossed the border fence "in an apparent attempt to clear mines between the Blue Line (border) and the fence."
"We characterize this as a serious incident between the Lebanese army and the IDF (Israeli Defense Forces)," the spokesman said.
"The UNIFIL commander ... was in contact with both sides urging them to cease hostilities and our current information is that around 10:30pm (2030 GMT) there was an end to the firing, but right now UNIFIL troops are deployed in the area."
Lebanon deployed its army along the frontier as part of a U.N.-brokered ceasefire that ended Israel's 34-day offensive against Hezbollah. The border has been largely quiet since then.
Israel ordered the searches around Avivim after discovering four explosive devices on the border on Monday. Israeli officials accused Hezbollah of planting the bombs recently, but Hezbollah said it planted them before the July-August war.
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