Lebanon-Israel Border Clash Kills 4 Soldiers

Exchange of fire at border may have been over tree removal
By Kevin Spak,  Newser Staff
Posted Aug 3, 2010 6:51 AM CDT
Updated Aug 3, 2010 8:12 AM CDT
Israeli, Lebanese Troops Battle at Border
Israeli soldiers patrol the Israeli northern border town of Metulla, seen from the border village of Kfar Kila, Lebanon, in this Oct. 28, 2009 file photo.   (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)

Three Lebanese soldiers, one Israeli soldier, and a Lebanese journalist were killed as Israeli and Lebanese troops fired on each other near the border today in their most serious confrontation since the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah war. The clash began when Israeli troops tried to remove a tree near or across the border, according to an al-Jazeera correspondent. Lebanese troops fired warning shots, and the Israelis responded by shelling a border town, a security source told Reuters. One shell hit a house in the village.

Israel says the altercation occurred during a routine patrol. "The overall picture that seems to be emerging from Israeli television reports is that the whole incident seems to have started over some misunderstanding," says an al-Jazeera correspondent in Jerusalem. UN peacekeeping troops in the area have urged both sides to exercise "maximum restraint." (More Israel stories.)

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