TENSIONS RISE AS DEADLY BORDER CLASH ERUPTS BETWEEN ISRAEL, LEBANON
Baku, August 4 (AZERTAC). A clash between Lebanon and Israel along their volatile shared border Tuesday left an Israeli officer and several Lebanese soldiers dead while escalating fears of renewed violence between the nations.
Lt. Col. Dov Harari, a battalion commander, was killed in the fighting, according to an Israel Defense Forces statement. Another Israeli soldier was seriously wounded, it said.
A Lebanese army spokesman said at least two Lebanese soldiers were killed and several others were wounded.
Lebanon`s official National News Agency reported that journalist Assaf Abu Rahal also was killed in the exchange of fire between Lebanese and Israeli soldiers.
In a statement, the spokesperson for Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon "took immediate steps through contacts with the parties and the presence of the acting force commander alongside peacekeepers at the location to help restore calm in
the area."
UNIFIL will investigate the incident, it said, adding that Ban "urges the parties to exercise maximum restraint and to work with UNIFIL and the U.N. Special Coordinator for Lebanon in taking steps to consolidate the calm now restored in the area."
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