REPORT: Blast wounds four Israeli soldiers at Lebanese border

                        
An Israeli foot patrol violated the blue line in the region of Labbouneh and crossed 400 meters into the Lebanese territories, and while infiltrating, a landmine detonated leaving a number of injuries, according to the statement issued by the Lebanese Armed Forces Command on Wednesday.    
                
Accordingly, the Lebanese army troops deployed in the region, declared a state of alert and took the necessary measures on the ground, while the concerned authorities launched an investigation into the incident in cooperation with the United Nations Interim Forces in Lebanon.    

For its part, the state-run National News Agency said four soldiers were wounded in a landmine explosion after crossing 150 meters into the Lebanese territories.                        

But a TV station close to Lebanon's Hezbollah, al-Mayadeen, said the soldiers were wounded inside the Lebanese border village of Labbouneh.      
     
Israel fought a month-long war with Hezbollah in 2006 and sometimes there are cross-border exchanges of fire.         

Israeli forces routinely patrol the border with Lebanon, which has been largely quiet since a war with Lebanese Hezbollah in 2006.   

Reactions:              

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wished the soldiers a speedy recovery while on a tour of a military base in the south of the country. "We will continue to act responsibly in order to defend Israel's borders," Netanyahu said.         

In turn, Andrea Teneti, a spokesman for the peacekeeping force, UNIFIL, described the situation along the frontier after the explosion as calm.
                    
In a statement, UNIFIL said it had opened an investigation and had asked the Israeli military to provide details "of any incident in the area as alleged" and its precise location.              

This as the Lebanese army called the incident "a new violation of Lebanese sovereignty."               


REUTERS/AP/LBCI


For the full report, please click on the VIDEO above