Global General

Israel warns Lebanon over border clash

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-08-04 11:46

JERUSALEM - Israel Defense Forces (IDF) holds the Lebanon army responsible for Tuesday's border clash "that disrupted the calm in the region and its consequences," said an IDF statement sent to Xinhua.

Three Lebanese soldiers and a Lebanese reporter were killed in the incident which took place at midday along the tense border between the two countries, local media reported.

An Israeli army spokesman, speaking with Xinhua, would not comment on unconfirmed foreign media reports alleging Israeli casualties in the incident.

IDF said that the gunfire and its response ensued when Lebanese soldiers fired at an Israeli army bulldozer working along the border around noon.

Related readings:  Israeli army officer killed in border clash with Lebanon  UN force under pressure after 4 years in Lebanon  UN vehicles attacked in southern Lebanon

"The IDF force immediately returned fire with light arms at a force of the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) and the IDF also made use of artillery fire. Several minutes later an Israel Air Force helicopter fired at the LAF Battalion Command Center in al-Taybeh, damaging several LAF armored combat vehicles," read the IDF statement.

There are numerous hills, gullies and sharp turns in the area, limiting visibility, which led some analysts to suggest that the Lebanese soldiers misconstrued the distance between the Israeli vehicles and the border fence.

However, a Lebanese security official in the area said that the Lebanese army fired back after "the Israelis fired four rockets that fell near a Lebanese army position in the village of Adisah."

Israeli Foreign Ministry termed the event a "severe violation of the UN Security Council Resolution 1701," and held Lebanon's government responsible for what it termed a "grave incident."

Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said Israel will file a protest with the UN over the incident.