Lebanon-Israel border flares up; four dead

ADAISSEH, Lebanon, Aug 3 (Reuters) - Israeli and Lebanese troops fought in a rare cross-border skirmish on Tuesday that killed three Lebanese and a senior Israeli officer in the most serious violence along the frontier since a 2006 war. The Iranian-and Syrian-backed Hezbollah group, which battled Israel four years ago, took no part in the exchange of fire. There was also no sign of any extensive Israeli preparations for a large-scale operation -- an indication the clash might not trigger a wider conflict. Security sources and witnesses said there was no more fighting but tension remained high. The Lebanese and Israeli armies gave different descriptions of the events leading up to the skirmish, while the U.N. peacekeeping force stationed in southern Lebanon said it had yet to ascertain the circumstances leading to the bloodshed. The Lebanese army said an Israeli patrol had crossed the technical line of the border even though U.N. peacekeepers in the area told it to stop. "A Lebanese army force then repelled it using rocket propelled grenades. A clash happened in which the enemy forces used machine guns and tank fire targeting army posts and civilian houses," it said. Major-General Gadi Eisenkot, head of Israel's northern command, said a Lebanese sniper squad fired at officers inside Israeli territory. He said an Israeli tank came under fire from a rocket-propelled grenade, and when it missed, the tank fired and killed the RPG squad. "Israel has responded and shall respond aggressively in the future to any attempt to disrupt the calm along the northern border or to harm residents of the north or the soldiers protecting them," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement.
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