The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) has rejected the Sunday Times report that the Hezbollah has secretly built a network of underground military bunkers in southern Lebanon.

UNIFIL spokesman Milos Strugar said in response that UNIFIL has no information on weapon smuggling to southern Lebanon or any armed men in the area for that matter, save the Palestinians in the refugee camps.

Strugar added that UNIFIL is continuing to uncover hidden weapon bunkers prepared by Hezbollah before the Second Lebanon War.

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According to the Sunday Times report quoting Israel intelligence sources, Hezbollah, which was forced to move away from the border as part of the cease-fire deal in August following last summer's war with the Israel, has managed to rebuild its fighting capability right under the noses of the UNIFIL peacekeeping force.

The paper also reported that Israeli intelligence now estimates that Hezbollah has stockpiled 20,000 rockets in near the Israeli

"Since the Israeli forces left, Hezbollah has been building formidable military underground posts under the noses of the UN," The Sunday Times quoted an IDF intelligence officer as saying.

"Hezbollah will never leave southern Lebanon," The Sunday Times quoted Transportation Minister Shaul Mofaz, the former defense minister, as saying last week. "It's now armed with rockets that could hit central and even southern Israel," Mofaz said.

Before last summer's war in Lebanon Hezbollah had more than 20 positions along the border. Israel destroyed all of them during the fighting, as well as killing hundreds of militants.

Hezbollah began to rebuild its positions in Shiite villages close to the border with Israel soon after the ceasefire agreement.

Since last August huge quantities of arms, including Russian-made anti-tank missiles, short and long-range rockets, small arms, mines and ammunition have been smuggled into Lebanon from Syria and Iran, The Sunday Times reported.