Imran Khan
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Deadly Israel-Lebanon border clash
Lebanon says Israeli troops crossed the border, but Israel denies this At least three Lebanese soldiers, a senior Israeli officer and a journalist have been killed in an exchange of fire along the two countries' border.
The Lebanese say they opened fire after Israeli troops entered Lebanon. The Israelis deny crossing the border. look pic down
It is the first serious clash there since the 2006 conflict between Israel and Lebanese Hezbollah militants.
Israel's foreign ministry warned Lebanon of "consequences" if violence continued.
"Israel views the Lebanese government as responsible for this serious incident," a ministry statement said.
In a statement, Lebanon's Prime Minister Saad Hariri condemned Israeli "aggression" and said Lebanese sovereignty had been violated.
The Lebanese army says Israeli soldiers crossed the border to uproot a tree which was blocking their view in the Lebanese village of Adaysseh.
A Lebanese army spokesman said it had fired warning shots and Israel had responded with fire from artillery positions and helicopters.
The army confirmed to the BBC that three of its soldiers had been killed and four wounded. The al-Akhbar newspaper confirmed that one of its journalists had also been killed.
Restraint urged
The Israel Defense Force (IDF) said its troops had been working on its side of the border near the town of Kiryat Shemona, when they received warnings to leave the area.
Israel-Lebanon border
Continue reading the main story Border known as 'Blue line'
Israeli troops crossed border in 1978
1978-2000 Israel occupied areas of southern Lebanon
Hezbollah cross-border raid led to 2006 conflict
UN brokered ceasefire after 34 days
Lebanon and UN force now control southern area
Frequent tensions along border
In pictures: Israel-Lebanon clash
"The soldiers were on routine activity in Israeli territory, in an area that lies between the 'blue line' (the internationally recognised border between Israel and Lebanon) and the security fence, thus within Israeli territory," the IDF said in a statement.
People in Lebanese army uniform then opened fire on the troops. The Israelis first said two officers had been seriously wounded, but then later confirmed that a senior officer had been killed.
He was named as 45-year-old Lt-Col Dov Harari from Netanya, a reserve commander in the engineering corps.
Maj-Gen Gadi Eisenkot, head of the Israeli military's northern command, told reporters he believed the incident was "a one-time event".
Speaking at a base near the Lebanese border, he said: "We received requests and demands from the highest ranks in the Lebanese army to cease fire."
However, he described the incident as a "deliberate ambush".
The UN peacekeeping force stationed in southern Lebanon, Unifil, has urged both sides to show "maximum restraint" following the clash.
The BBC's Wyre Davies in Jerusalem says the clash is an indication of the tensions along the Israel-Lebanon border.
Israel's Haaretz newspaper said the incident could have been caused by one of the sides misidentifying the correct location of the border.
The exchange comes a day after rockets were fired at the Israeli resort of Eilat, with a stray rocket killing one person in the nearby port of Aqaba in Jordan.
pic clearly show israili solder inside the lebnon and cut the tree .pic taken 5 minutes before gun battle.
Lebanon says Israeli troops crossed the border, but Israel denies this At least three Lebanese soldiers, a senior Israeli officer and a journalist have been killed in an exchange of fire along the two countries' border.
The Lebanese say they opened fire after Israeli troops entered Lebanon. The Israelis deny crossing the border. look pic down
It is the first serious clash there since the 2006 conflict between Israel and Lebanese Hezbollah militants.
Israel's foreign ministry warned Lebanon of "consequences" if violence continued.
"Israel views the Lebanese government as responsible for this serious incident," a ministry statement said.
In a statement, Lebanon's Prime Minister Saad Hariri condemned Israeli "aggression" and said Lebanese sovereignty had been violated.
The Lebanese army says Israeli soldiers crossed the border to uproot a tree which was blocking their view in the Lebanese village of Adaysseh.
A Lebanese army spokesman said it had fired warning shots and Israel had responded with fire from artillery positions and helicopters.
The army confirmed to the BBC that three of its soldiers had been killed and four wounded. The al-Akhbar newspaper confirmed that one of its journalists had also been killed.
Restraint urged
The Israel Defense Force (IDF) said its troops had been working on its side of the border near the town of Kiryat Shemona, when they received warnings to leave the area.
Israel-Lebanon border
Continue reading the main story Border known as 'Blue line'
Israeli troops crossed border in 1978
1978-2000 Israel occupied areas of southern Lebanon
Hezbollah cross-border raid led to 2006 conflict
UN brokered ceasefire after 34 days
Lebanon and UN force now control southern area
Frequent tensions along border
In pictures: Israel-Lebanon clash
"The soldiers were on routine activity in Israeli territory, in an area that lies between the 'blue line' (the internationally recognised border between Israel and Lebanon) and the security fence, thus within Israeli territory," the IDF said in a statement.
People in Lebanese army uniform then opened fire on the troops. The Israelis first said two officers had been seriously wounded, but then later confirmed that a senior officer had been killed.
He was named as 45-year-old Lt-Col Dov Harari from Netanya, a reserve commander in the engineering corps.
Maj-Gen Gadi Eisenkot, head of the Israeli military's northern command, told reporters he believed the incident was "a one-time event".
Speaking at a base near the Lebanese border, he said: "We received requests and demands from the highest ranks in the Lebanese army to cease fire."
However, he described the incident as a "deliberate ambush".
The UN peacekeeping force stationed in southern Lebanon, Unifil, has urged both sides to show "maximum restraint" following the clash.
The BBC's Wyre Davies in Jerusalem says the clash is an indication of the tensions along the Israel-Lebanon border.
Israel's Haaretz newspaper said the incident could have been caused by one of the sides misidentifying the correct location of the border.
The exchange comes a day after rockets were fired at the Israeli resort of Eilat, with a stray rocket killing one person in the nearby port of Aqaba in Jordan.
pic clearly show israili solder inside the lebnon and cut the tree .pic taken 5 minutes before gun battle.
USA need to keep out of this....
