Lebanese army says it prevented additional attack on Israel
According to Lebanese army, its forces discovered rocket set to be launched at Israel and prevented it from being fired. Meanwhile, IDF, defense officials contemplate response to strike
The Lebanese army discovered a rocket that was set to be launched Sunday on Israel and prevented it from being fired, shortly after three were launched and two landed in the Israel, Lebanon’s military said in a statement.
The army blamed the attack on “unknown elements”, the statement said.
Hizbullah denied firing at Israel on Sunday. “Hizbullah denies being involved in any operation to launch missiles today against occupied Palestine,” said a flash script on al-Manar television.
A Lebanese security official said that two 107 millimeter rockets were launched using timers from an area between the villages of Adaisseh and Kfar Kila, a few kilometers from Israel’s northern border. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the media.
The army statement said that three rockets were fired toward Israel. Troops were sent to search the suspected launching area, where a fourth rocket equipped with a timer was found.
The army was investigating and a search was underway for the attackers. UN peacekeepers also dispatched a patrol to the area, the army said.
'Response issue complicated'
The IDF believes that the rockets were launched by a Palestinian organization in a bid to bring to an escalation in the situation on the border, either as an act of solidarity with the Palestinians, or as part of the struggle between the Fatah al-Islam organization and the Lebanese army in southern Lebanon.
"The response issue is very complex," an IDF official told Ynet. "If this attack was indeed carried out by a Palestinian organization, it would be very difficult to decide on a target for retaliation, even though the Lebanese government is responsible. It must be kept in mind that the Lebanese army is operating in the area, and that there are international forces that Israel wants to stay in the region."
Defense Minister Amir Peretz received briefings on the situation at the defense Ministry, and also spoke to the army chief and the prime minister, who is currently in the US, on the developments.
Hanan Greenberg and Roee Nahmias contributed to the report
