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Two Israeli soldiers and one UN peacekeeper killed in clashes between Israel and Hezbollah

Two Israeli soldiers and a Spanish UN peacekeeper have been killed and seven wounded in an attack...
Newstalk
Newstalk

16.19 28 Jan 2015


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Two Israeli soldiers and one U...

Two Israeli soldiers and one UN peacekeeper killed in clashes between Israel and Hezbollah

Newstalk
Newstalk

16.19 28 Jan 2015


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Two Israeli soldiers and a Spanish UN peacekeeper have been killed and seven wounded in an attack on a military convoy along the border with Lebanon.

Lebanon's Hezbollah militant group has claimed responsibility for the attack - which prompted Benjamin Netanyahu to warn opponents "look what happened in Gaza".

An Israeli army statement said: "Earlier today an anti-tank missile hit a (military) vehicle ... killing two soldiers and wounding an additional seven."

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The UN peacekeeper was killed in the Israeli occupied Shebaa farms area of southern Lebanon where earlier the two Israeli soldiers had been killed.

A spokesman for the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) called for "maximum restraint to prevent an escalation".

Israeli tanks reportedly shelled areas of southeastern Lebanon in response to the attack in the border area, as Israeli Prime Minister Mr Netanyahu issued his warning.

"My recommendation to those who challenge us in the north is to take a look at what happened in Gaza," he said.

"The (Israel Defence Forces) is responding now to the incident in the north. The IDF stands ready to act forcefully on all fronts."

The attack on the convoy in the Israeli-occupied Shebaa Farms area was in response to an Israeli rocket attack in Syria, a source familiar with details of the operation told AFP.

And a statement broadcast on Hezbollah's Al-Manar television channel said: "At 11.25 (9.25am UK time) this morning, the Quneitra martyrs of the Islamic Resistance (Hezbollah) targeted an Israeli military convoy in the Shebaa Farms composed of several vehicles, which was transporting several Zionist soldiers and officers.

"There were several casualties in the enemy's ranks."

One security source told AFP that more than 15 shells had since been fired on Lebanese border villages and Israeli warplanes were flying over the area.

Another security source said the Israeli army was firing a new shell into the area about every two minutes, and was also firing artillery.

The Lebanese army has been deployed to all five villages that were shelled, but it was unclear whether Hezbollah had a presence there.

Israel's military operation in Gaza last summer saw around 2,200 Palestinians killed, most of them civilians, while 66 IDF soldiers and five Israeli civilians were killed.

The Minister for Defence has expressed his concern regarding the events in the UNIFIL area of operations in Southern Lebanon.

Simon Coveney was speaking following the death of a Spanish soldier who was killed earlier today in a Hezbollah attack.

He was a member of the Spanish United Nations peacekeeping contingent deployed with UNIFIL.

The Shebaa farms region is not part of the area of operations of the Irish contingent to UNIFIL.

The Minister said all Defence Forces personnel participating in the UNIFIL and UNDOF Areas of Operation are safe and accounted for, and he is closely monitoring ongoing developments.

“The safety of our troops is my priority. I am extremely concerned at the recent turn of events and would urge restraint on all sides,” Mr Coveney said.

“I would like to extend my personal condolences to my colleague the Spanish Minister for Defence, the Spanish Armed Forces, and family of the peacekeeper killed in Southern Lebanon on this unfortunate and unacceptable development. I will continue to monitor developments in the region,” he added.


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