Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed Wednesday night that its
troops shot at suspicious shadows moving near the fence on the
Israel-Lebanon border for the first time since its ceasefire singed
with Lebanese Hezbollah on Aug. 14 last year.
The IDF spokesman told Xinhua that the incident occurred on last
Thursday but has only been released for publication on Wednesday
evening.
According to the spokesman, an Israeli unit took the action when
it was patrolling the border fence in the evening hours that day
and identified suspicious movement on the Lebanese side of the
fence.
While it was unclear if the figures spotted near the border were
people or simply wild pigs, troops fired into Lebanon from the
Israeli side of the border, said the spokesman.
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It was the first time the IDF took the initiative since the August
ceasefire.
Local newspaper Jerusalem Post has judged the incident
as a mark of the change in IDF policy regarding restraint of troops
patrolling the sensitive border.
Israel from now on would not tolerate any activity aimed at
disrupting Israeli sovereignty over its territory, a military
source in IDF's Northern Command was quoted as saying.
But the IDF has denied the comment.
In January, Lebanese soldiers shot upon IDF troops while they
were working on dismantling explosive devices near Avivim. The
troops were ordered not to shoot back and the incident was
peacefully ended with UNIFIL intervention.
Israeli Ynet news website reported that the army has recently
completed a large-scale defense project along the northern border
aimed towards rehabilitating and reinforcing the security fence and
fortifying the north's military outposts.
The estimated cost of the post-war project stands at almost
US$25 million.
(Xinhua News Agency April 5, 2007)
