Beirut, August 04 (Saba) - The Israeli troops redeployed on Wednesday to the site of a deadly gun battle along the Lebanese border in order to complete their interrupted mission to uproot a tree, Israeli army radio reported. It said an important security cordon and armored vehicles were deployed around the site, according to Qatar News Agency (QNA).

Israel claims its troops were fired upon while conducting maintenance work along the border on Tuesday, while Lebanon said its troops opened fire after an Israel patrol crossed the border fence.

Both sides blamed each other for the skirmish that left dead two Lebanese soldiers, a Lebanese journalist and a senior Israeli officer.

Reports said the deployment of the Israeli forces prompted the Lebanese army to mobilize its units stationed in the south.

Meanwhile, the UNIFIL forces are contacting both the Lebanese army and Israeli forces to calm the situation.

New Israeli Violation of Lebanese Air Space

An Israeli reconnaissance plane violated the Lebanese airspace off Nakoura village, where it effectuated a u-shaped flight over the South.

The spying plane later left at 6:10 pm from above the sea towards the Occupied Territories, Lebanese army command-Guidance Directorate stated today.
It is worth mentioning that the violation of Lebanese air space contravenes the UN Security Council Resolution 1701.

UNIFIL: Israeli Soldiers In Israel During Clash

The U.N. peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon (UNIFIL) said on Wednesday Israeli soldiers had been operating on the Israeli side of the "Blue Line" when the border clash, in which three Lebanese and one Israeli were killed, occurred
"UNIFIL established, however, that the trees being cut by the Israeli army are located south of the Blue Line on the Israeli side," said a statement quoting UNIFIL military spokesman Lt. Col. Naresh Bhatt.

He was referring to a border line drawn by the United Nations between Israel and Lebanon after an Israeli military withdrawal from southern Lebanon in 2000.
The Blue Line is a border demarcation between Lebanon and Israel published by the United Nations on 7 June 2000 for the purpose of determining whether Israel had fully withdrawn from Lebanon.

Israeli Troops Uproot Trees in S.Lebanon

Israeli troops on Wednesday uprooted trees along the border with Lebanon in Aadaiseh village in southern Lebanon, where deadly clashes erupted yesterday when Israeli soldiers tried to carry out the same operation.
The troops were seen using a crane that reached over a fence in a disputed border area near the village to uproot trees that were then thrown inside Israeli territory, Now Lebanon reported.

The same operation on Tuesday sparked a deadly border clashes that killed two Lebanese soldiers and a journalist as well as a senior Israeli officer.

Saba