Rockets, Mortars Left Over from 2006 War Found in Tyre Region

Several rockets and shells were found on Sunday in the Tyre region in south Lebanon, state-run National News Agency reported.

“Three rockets left over from the July War were found in the al-Nsar-Deir Qanoun Ras al-Ain area east of Tyre and Lebanese army experts removed them from the location,” NNA said.

Later on Sunday, the agency said more rockets and shells were discovered in the same area, noting that several of them had Hebrew writings.

"Eight mortar shells were found buried in the ground in addition to the three rockets," NNA reported.

It later said six Grad rockets and two Israeli-made rockets were found in the area.

"The army cordoned off the area and prohibited access over safety concerns as the commander of the Italian (UNIFIL) contingent in al-Mansouri Colonel (Giovan Battista) D'Alessio and a number of his officers arrived on the scene to inspect the shells in cooperation with the army," NNA added.

The Lebanese army is still conducting a large search operation in the region, it said.

Later on Sunday, the army confirmed in a statement the discovery of several rockets and shells.

"An army patrol found a number of rockets and shells that were covered in sand. After a military expert examined them, they turned out to be obsolete and left over from the July 2006 war."

Earlier, LBCI said the rockets were of 122mm caliber while Future TV said they were Katyushas.

On Thursday, four rockets were fired from an area between Hawsh and the al-Rashidiyeh Palestinian refugee camp near Tyre towards northern Israel, causing no casualties.

Israel retaliated at dawn Friday with an air strike on tunnels used by the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command in the Naameh area south of Beirut, although the rocket attack was claimed by the al-Qaida-linked Abdullah Azzam Brigades.

And on Monday, several rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs) and hundreds of machinegun bullets were found on a road in Western Zawtar in the Nabatiyeh province.