UNIFIL to probe Katyusha fire at western Galilee

The IDF confirmed Tuesday that two Katyusha rockets were fired at the western Galilee from Lebanon on Monday night. No injuries were reported, but several structures sustained damage.

The IDF's Northern Command has been placed on high alert following the fire. The military stressed that Israel holds the Lebanese government responsible for the indicent. 

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Hezbollah sources denied any connection to the rocket fire. UNIFIL, which has a peacekeeping mission in southern Lebanon, has launched an investigation into the incident, but a spokesman for the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon was quoted by Beirut's radio as saying that "UNIFIL rejects reports suggesting any violation of UN Resolution 1701 and is working to restore normalcy."  

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Residents of the western Galilee told Ynet that they heard explosions in the region shortly after midnight. 

A local resident said "I heard four explosions. The entire village is in shock. We didn't know what it was. Many people called the police to report the blasts."

Another resident added: "Around midnight I heard a sound similar to rocket landing, only without the explosion.".

One of the Katyusha rockets (Photo: Avihu Shapira)

Western Galilee resident Eyal Shmueli said he saw a mushroom cloud billowing in the sky followed by the thick smell of gunpowder. "It was 20 meters from my house," he added.

The head of one of the Western Galilee Regional Council noted that the explosion occurred in a steep slope with thick vegetation. "We're not going to go in there right now. Maybe we'll find it in the morning," he said.

The IDF Spokesperson's Unit reported that the military responded with artillery fire on Lebanon.

In October 2009 a 107-millimeter Katyusha rocket exploded in open fields in the Galilee panhandle. Shortly after the incident, the IDF filed an official complaint with UNIFIL, which is stationed on the Israel-Lebanon border.

Yoav Zitun and Ahiya Raved contributed to this report

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