UNIFIL, LAF to step up security measures in the South

General Alberto Asarta said Thursday that the UNIFIL and the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) were stepping up security measures in the South, at the backdrop of the incidents that jolted the peacekeepers' operation zone recently.           
Two rockets were fired from southern Lebanon into northern Israel late November, prompting the enemy army to warn Beirut, the day after, that it will prevent similar attacks in the future. Israel retaliated by firing four artillery rounds on Ayta Shaab village.        

On the other hand, a bomb went off last week near a UNIFIL patrol in Naba'a area located between the towns of Housh and Burj al Shamali east of Tyre, causing light injuries to five peacekeeping soldiers.         

A Katyusha rocket also fell Sunday evening on a civilian home in the town of Houla in the South. The rocket was launched from Wadi Al-Qaissieh in the outskirts of the town of Majdal Slim.         

Asarta chaired today a tripartite UNIFIL-Lebanese-Israeli meeting at a UN post in Naqoura.          

He said these incidents were a dangerous violation of UNSC Resolution 1701.      

“All parties bear the responsibility of curbing the violations of Resolution 1701, including maritime and land breaches, as well as the presence of unlicensed armed members in the operation zone," he added.          

"We are taking substantial measures, in tandem with the LAF, so as to reinforce security throughout our operation zone, while efforts are still underway to identify and round up assailants," he added.        

"Both [Israeli and Lebanese] parties voiced full support and commitment to work with the UNIFIL to implement clauses related to Resolution 1701 and curb any likely escalation," he concluded.