Friday, September 11, 2009

UN FORCE INVESTIGATING ROCKET FIRING INTO ISRAEL FROM SOUTH LEBANON‏

New York, Sep 11 2009 1:10PM
The United Nations peacekeeping force in Lebanon said it has launched an investigation into an incident today in which at least two rockets were fired from the southern part of the country into northern Israel.
According to preliminary reports, the rockets were fired from the general area of Qlaileh, in southern Lebanon, and impacted northern Israel in the general area north of Nahariya, the UN Interim Force in Lebanon said in a statement.
“The Israeli army retaliated with artillery fire aimed at the area from where the rocket fire originated. The firing stopped shortly thereafter,” it stated, adding that the mission has no reports of casualties on either side.
UNIFIL said it is in contact with both sides, urging them to exercise maximum restraint, uphold the cessation of hostilities and avoid taking steps which would lead to further escalation.
In coordination with the Lebanese Armed Forces, the mission has deployed additional troops and reaction force in the area to prevent escalation.
UN officials, including Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, have noted that incidents such as rocket firing pose a serious challenge to the implementation of Security Council resolution 1701 which helped end the war between Israel and Hizbollah in the summer of 2006.
The resolution calls for respect for the so-called Blue Line that separates Israeli and Lebanese sides, the disarming of militias and an end to arms smuggling, among other measures.