Fighting breaks out between Israeli and Lebanese soldiers near border, officials say

(AP) Lebanese troops traded fire with Israeli forces across the border for the first time since last summer's war between Hezbollah and Israel, showing how tense the boundary remains nearly six months into a U.N.-brokered truce.

U.N. peacekeepers in south Lebanon described the brief shootout late Wednesday as a "serious incident," though no one was hurt and the clash was not expected to undermine the cease-fire that ended 34 days of fighting.

Peacekeepers contacted both sides, "urging them to cease hostilities with immediate effect," said Liam McDowell, a spokesman for the force.

Lebanese officials said their troops opened fire on an Israeli army bulldozer that had crossed the frontier near the border village of Maroun el-Rass, which saw heavy fighting in the summer.

Israeli forces retaliated by firing five anti-tank grenades at two Lebanese military vehicles, the officials said on condition of anonymity.

Israel confirmed the exchange but denied its troops had entered Lebanon. The army said its troops crossed the heavily guarded border fence but remained south of the international border and within Israeli territory, which stretches beyond the fence line.

"We do not intend to provoke a deterioration or escalation of the situation, but we must respond when fire endangers Israeli forces," the military said Thursday.

Israel said it was clearing land, searching for explosive devices planted by the Hezbollah in violation of the truce. The Shiite guerrillas say the explosives were planted before the war.

The border skirmish was the first exchange of fire since shortly after an Aug. 14 cease-fire ended the fighting between Israeli forces and Lebanese Hezbollah militants, and after Israeli troops withdrew to their side of the border in September.

Hezbollah officials had no immediate comment on the incident.

Lebanon's U.S.-backed prime minister discussed the clash Thursday with U.N. envoy Geir Pedersen, telling him that his government condemned the "new Israeli aggression on Lebanon's sovereignty."

Addressing Pedersen in front of reporters, Prime Minister Fuad Saniora said the incursion compounded the daily violations of Lebanese sovereignty by Israeli aircraft. On Thursday morning, Israeli planes flew twice over southern Lebanon.

The Israeli military confirmed the overflights, saying: "The incident yesterday hasn't led us to change our aerial activity."

Israel insists it has to monitor southern Lebanon to check that Hezbollah is not rearming in violation of the U.N. cease-fire resolution of August.

A clash involving an Israel's commando raid on the Bekaa Valley town of Boudai deep inside Lebanon occurred five days after the cease-fire and left an Israeli officer killed. Israel said that was an attempt to interdict Hezbollah weapons shipments.

McDowell, of the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon, or UNIFIL, did not say whether the Israelis had crossed the border, but his statement indicated the Israelis were still on their side when the shooting erupted.

The shooting lasted a few minutes and ended before midnight, McDowell said. Shortly afterward, the Israeli army said all its forces had withdrawn south of the border fence.

In New York, U.N. associate spokesman Farhan Haq said the U.N. peacekeepers in south Lebanon talked to both sides in an effort to prevent any escalation.

"The latest news is that things seem to have calmed down," Haq said.

About 15,000 Lebanese troops deployed to south Lebanon under the U.N. resolution that included the cease-fire which ended the fighting. More than 1,000 people died in Lebanon and about 150 in Israel in the 34-day war. Also, 34 Lebanese soldiers were killed, many in Israeli airstrikes against army positions and radar installations. Israel has accused the Lebanese army of aiding the Hezbollah.

The war was ignited by Hezbollah's capture of two Israeli soldiers in a cross-border raid on July 12. The U.N. resolution calls for their release but the Shiite guerrilla group has yet to comply.

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Associated Press writers Matti Friedman in Jerusalem and Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations contributed to this report.