REPORT: Lebanon rocket fire draws Israeli artillery strike

The state-run National News Agency reported on Sunday that four launching pads were found in the Wadi Khraybe region in Hassbaya district.

This comes as rockets launched from Lebanon struck northern Israel, causing no injuries or damage, and Israel responded with artillery fire across a border that has been largely quiet since a war in 2006.

It was not immediately clear who fired the rockets. The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), urging restraint, said it was working with the Lebanese Army to obtain further details of the attack.

Israeli authorities said five rockets were launched from Lebanon but only one or two struck inside Israel, near the border town of Kiryat Shmona. Lebanese sources said the rocket hit the southern town of Mazraat Sarda near al-Wazzani region, on the Lebanese-Israeli border. 

The Israeli army spokesman said that no injuries were registered and no damages were incurred in the rocket attack of Kiryat Shmona in northern Israel.

South Lebanon is a Hezbollah stronghold, the party battled Israel seven years ago and is currently engaged in Syria's civil war in support of President Bashar al-Assad - but Palestinian factions are also in the area.

In a statement, Defence Minister Moshe Yaalon said Israel held the Lebanese government and military responsible for the rocket attack, the first along the frontier since August.
Yaalon said the military responded with "massive shelling toward the (rocket) launch area, and if needed will use even greater force".

A Reuters witness in the Lebanon frontier area said 33 Israeli shells hit near two southern border towns. A Lebanese security source confirmed the count, and said no one was hurt.
There were no reports of further cross-border attacks following the initial exchange.

Tension along the border rose this month when a Lebanese soldier killed an Israeli soldier across the border fence, after which the UNIFIL met both sides to restore calm.
Officials suggested at the time that the shooting had been the isolated action of an individual.


REUTERS/LBCI


To watch Yazbek Wehbe's report, please click on the VIDEO above