UNIFIL Confirms Border Incident, Says No Casualties
United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) spokesman Neeraj Singh confirmed on Monday the clashes that occurred in the Wazzani area between the Israeli and Lebanese armies.
"We can confirm that at around 7:00 am this morning there was a brief exchange of fire between the Lebanese army and the Israeli army along the Blue Line in the general area of Wazzani," he said.
Singh said "UNIFIL peacekeepers immediately responded to the location in order to contain the situation and prevent any escalation. The firing has since ceased and the situation in the area is quiet.”
“No casualties have been reported,” he stressed.
He added that UNIFIL had opened an investigation into the exchange of fire.
UNIFIL Acting Force Commander Brigadier-General Santi Bonfanti contacted both sides, urging them to exercise self-control.
It’s unclear what had happened across the Blue Line.
The Israeli military said its troops had been fired upon as they worked on the Israeli side of the Blue Line, the U.N.-drawn border with Lebanon.
But a Lebanese army official said troops opened fire only when Israeli soldiers crossed the border line, which was established in 2000.
Source: Agence France Presse
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