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IDF soldiers in the northern border town of Ghajar (Yaron Kaminsky / Archives) Last update - 09:50 04/02/2008 IDF troops kill Lebanese man in cross-border shooting By Amos Harel and Yoav Stern, Haaretz Correspondents and News Agencies Tags: Lebanon, Ghajar, IDF, Israel Israel Defense Forces troops on Sunday evening opened fire on at least two armed men trying to infiltrate Israel's northern border with Lebanon, killing one and seriously wounding the other. According to reports, IDF forces began firing on the men when they noticed them trying to cross the border into Israeli territory, in the northern village of Ghajar. An IDF spokesman said the Lebanese men were attempting to smuggle drugs into Israel. Advertisement The casualties were taken to a hospital in the Lebanese town of Marjayoun, where officials there confirmed they received one body and another person wounded. IDF troops suffered no casualties in the incident. UNIFIL, the UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon, said it was investigating the shooting and urged restraint on both sides of the border. UNIFIL spokeswoman Yasmina Bouziane said: "UNIFIL has launched an immediate investigation to ascertain the facts, looking into initial allegations of smuggling. "UNIFIL's force commander, Major General Claudio Graziano, is in contact with senior officers on both sides urging them to show maximum restraint," she added. Clashes of the kind have been rare since the end of the Second Lebanon War, which broke out in July 2006 after Hezbollah militants crossed the border with Israel and abducted IDF reservists Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev. In November, IDF troops in Ghajar opened fire, slightly injuring one of two men trying to infiltrate Israel. The injured man was carrying a bag of illicit drugs, the IDF said at the time. There have been others instances along the border since 2006 such as a shepherd straying and being picked up by the Israelis or the two sides arguing over drainage water, but most of the incidents have been resolved peacefully, with the intervention of the peacekeepers. The most serious incident involved a shootout between Lebanese army troops and IDF troops in February 2007 at Maroun el-Ras, an area of the border that was not clearly demarcated. No one was hurt in that incident when Lebanese troops opened fire on an Israeli bulldozer they said had crossed the border fence. In the last 18 months, since the end of the war, there have been two incidents of Katyusha rockets launched at northern Israel, both at the town of Shlomi. No casualties were reported in either incident. A point of tension between the two countries continues to be the Israel Air Force's reconnaissance flights over Lebanon and the occasional Lebanese army artillery anti-aircraft fire against the planes. Hezbollah's press office would not comment on Sunday's incident. Hezbollah chief Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah warned in January that the movement would not "remain idle if any Lebanese civilians are hurt" in Israeli incursions. Naim Qassem, Hezbollah's deputy secretary general, last week threatened that the group would carry out additional kidnappings of IDF soldiers. Qassem also reiterated Hezbollah's stance that it would not give up on a single prisoner it has demanded for exchange with Israel. Until 1967, Ghajar was a Syrian village on the Syrian-Lebanese border. It was captured by Israel when the IDF took the Golan Heights during the Six-Day War. Half of the town is under Israeli control and the other half is in Lebanon. Related articles: IDF troops open fire, arrest suspected smugglers who infiltrated Israel Lebanon says troops opened fire on IAF planes over south of country Lebanon: Winograd war probe report sets scene for future war Deputy Hezbollah head: We will kidnap more IDF soldiers Study: Israelis feel less secure since end of Second Lebanon War Germany warns Jewish community of terror threat from Lebanon Lebanon newspaper says it has photos of IDF soldiers' remains UNIFIL confirms Israel's version: IDF troops didn't enter Lebanon 3 men hurt while rescuing shepherd from S. Lebanon minefield Haaretz.com TV: A village divided Ghajar residents protest decision to divide the border village Ministers approve IDF withdrawal from Lebanese side of Ghajar Ghajar says don't fence me in Bookmark to del.icio.us   West Bank drought Palestinian Water Authority calls on Israel to rethink its water policies. Death of an artist Egyptian filmmaker's controversial work earned him international recognition.   1.   Guerilla war needs maximum response 21:09  |  Hen Ry 03/02/08   2.   UN 1701 IS A BIG Mistake , is a Lie , is a Farce 21:37  |  Joseph . E 03/02/08   3.   Why didn`t Lebanese authorites halt the infiltrators? 21:37  |  Conroy 03/02/08   4.   Force Israel Gov`t to Violate Not Mandate for Palestine 21:42  |  Joseph . E 03/02/08   5.   How Pathetic! 21:46  |  Norman F Birnberg 03/02/08   6.   Remember, nothing happens without Hezbo?s authorization in S Leb 21:49  |  Dan 03/02/08   7.   IS THIS THE ISRAELI PROVOCATION TO START THE NEW WAR ???? 22:01  |  JACKAL 03/02/08   8.   i blame the UN 22:01  |  vik 03/02/08   9.   hello peace 22:56  |  john 03/02/08   10.   UNIFIL investigating 22:56  |  Gemayel 03/02/08   11.   Guerilla war? terrorists? did you even READ the story? 23:25  |  Pablo B 03/02/08   12.   Israel initiates hostilities again 23:30  |  Natallie Durson 03/02/08   13.   Lebanese near border = Hezbollah 23:49  |  Rick and TC 03/02/08   14.   Hezbo terrorists want to start a new war 00:06  |  Dan 04/02/08   15.   On Hezbollah`s "no comment" 00:14  |  Arab 04/02/08   16.   Savages- and liars to top it off! 00:31  |  save us 04/02/08   17.   Why is Israel always attacking it`s neighbors? 00:39  |  POP 04/02/08   18.   go go go ,go IDF go 00:44  |  baba lalou 04/02/08   19.   Scared IDF top tries to minimize:"They`re drug smugglers" 00:57  |  Absolute Sweden 04/02/08   20.   IDF`s getting soft 03:00  |  Colin Wright 04/02/08   21.   #12 Nutallie,it is ameizing,how you put the facts 03:28  |  TOMY 04/02/08   22.   Everything the IDF touches dies... 04:24  |  POP 04/02/08   23.   probably another lie 04:35  |  donnie 04/02/08   24.   #7 Jackal - They weren`t Israeli drug smugglers 04:50  |  * BEN JABO 04/02/08   25.   #12 NUT allie Durson - Comprehension problem? 04:53  |  * BEN JABO 04/02/08   26.   #18 POP - you got it bass ackwards, as usual 04:54  |  * BEN JABO 04/02/08   27.   POP Why our neighbours keep crossing the border and killing us? 05:22  |  Dan 04/02/08   28.   Why our neighbours keep crossing the border and kidnapping us? 05:23  |  Dan 04/02/08   29.   POP, why our neighbours not recognizing our right to exist? 05:24  |  Dan 04/02/08   30.   |To 12 10:22  |  David 04/02/08   31.   Teach Hizbolla a lesson and we will be on your side 11:20  |  Lebanese Christian 04/02/08   32.   Unifil obviously just watched and hoped they`d blow us up 12:23  |  Iz Ray Leigh 04/02/08   33.   #31 Lebanese Christian 03:10  |  * BEN JABO 05/02/08   34.   Don`t hold your breath Ben Jabo @12 13:52  |  August West 27/07/08   35.   Please do @16 13:56  |  Nathan Mizrahi 27/07/08   36.   just business 23:57  |  the Devils Advocate 27/07/08   37.   #20 no lebanon is getting soft 00:00  |  antoine 28/07/08

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