LEBANON: U.N. and Lebanese army on alert after 'condemned' rocket attack on Israel

Record ID: 353245

  • Title: LEBANON: U.N. and Lebanese army on alert after 'condemned' rocket attack on Israel
  • Date: 15th January 2009
  • Summary: HABBARIYYA, LEBANON (JANUARY 14, 2009) (REUTERS) U.N. PEACEKEEPING ARMOURED VEHICLE DRIVING THROUGH AREA WHERE ROCKETS WERE FIRED INTO ISRAEL U.N. ARMOURED VEHICLE ISRAELI TOWN ON OTHER SIDE OF BORDER VARIOUS OF U.N. ARMOURED VEHICLES PATROLLING STREETS (4 SHOTS) LEBANESE ARMY SOLDIERS INSPECTING SITE WHERE ROCKETS WERE FIRED INTO ISRAEL/REMAINS OF ROCKETS VARIOUS OF SOLD
  • Embargoed: 30th January 2009 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Lebanon
  • Country: Lebanon
  • Topics: International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVAF2XSKHWWF525936N1IPJAS1BD
  • Story Text: With the latest rocket attack on Israel from the Lebanese border -- an act condemned by the government -- U.N. peace forces and the lebanese army step up their security efforts.
    The commander of a U.N. peacekeeping force urged Lebanon and Israel to exercise restraint after at least three rockets were fired into northern Israel from Lebanon on Wednesday (January 14).
    A statement issued by the UNIFIL peacekeeping force said there had been no claims of responsibility for the rocket attack. Israel responded with two barrages of artillery fire.
    The attack was the second on Israel from Lebanon since Israeli forces launched an offensive on the Gaza Strip on December 27.
    There have been no claims of responsibility for the Jan. 8 rocket attack from Lebanon. The powerful Lebanese guerrilla group Hezbollah denied any role, and Israeli officials blamed smaller, armed Palestinian factions in Lebanon.
    The Lebanese Information Minister Tarek Mitri condemned the attack, saying it does not serve Palestinian or Lebanese interests, giving Israel an excuse to attack Lebanon.
    ''Regarding what happened in southern Lebanon this morning, it is condemned and I have to stress the Lebanese position, which we've announced before -- that this act is not in the interest of Lebanon and it gives Israel an excuse to hurt Lebanon and it also hurts the unanimous Lebanese agreement that such actions do not serve either Palestinian nor Lebanese interests," said Mitri in a news conference.
    The UNIFIL peacekeeping force was expanded as part of Security Council resolution 1701, which ended a 34-day war in 2006 between Hezbollah and Israel.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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