At Least 2 Rockets Fired from Lebanon Hit Israel

By Robert Berger

Jerusalem
11 September 2009

There has been a flare-up on the Israeli border with Lebanon.

At least two rockets fired from Lebanon crashed into northern Israel, breaking a calm along the border that has prevailed since January. Israeli artillery returned fire.

Deputy police commander Kobi Bachar spoke to reporters at the scene.

He said loud explosions startled residents, who jammed phone lines to police. The army and police rushed to the area and determined that there were no injuries or serious damage.  

Rocket attacks have been rare since the Lebanon War three years ago, when Israel fought the Lebanese guerrilla group Hezbollah.

Israel launched the deadly 34-day assault on Lebanon after Hezbollah kidnapped two Israeli soldiers and killed five in a cross-border raid. During the conflict, Hezbollah fired more than 4,000 rockets at Israel.

Bachar does not expect a repeat of that.

He said Israel is treating the attack as an isolated incident and there is no special security alert. He said residents should return to their normal routine.

Hezbollah is not believed to be responsible for this attack, but rather a small Palestinian faction.

To prevent the situation from exploding again, the United Nations has deployed 13,000 peacekeepers in Lebanon since the war. Colonel Oxel Agnel is an officer in the U.N. force.

"For the time being we are conducting an investigation here in Israel, and also another investigation in Lebanon," he said.

U.N. officials described it as a very serious incident and urged both sides to exercise caution and restraint.