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| Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
| Palestinian Link in Lebanon Rocket Attack: UN |
| 2009-09-14 |
| Extremists tied to Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon may have been behind the latest rocket attack from the south into Israel, a United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon official said on Saturday. "My understanding is that they (the investigations) are focusing on the extremist groups that might be linked to the refugee camps," UNIFIL political adviser Milos Strugar told AFP. At least two rockets fired from the village of Al-Qlaileh in southern Lebanon slammed into Israel on Friday, triggering retaliatory artillery fire. Israel said on Saturday it had lodged a complaint with the United Nations. Strugar said that UNIFIL immediately launched an investigation into the incident, in coordination with the Lebanese army. "The investigation in this regard is in the hands of the Lebanese authorities, primarily the army, but my understanding is that there are some indications pointing in the direction of some extremist groups and I understand also that the investigation is focusing on these extremist groups," he said. He would not give further details. Lebanon's 12 Palestinian refugee camps are considered fertile breeding grounds for extremism. The army does not generally enter the camps, leaving responsibility for security to Palestinian factions instead. "The investigation is ongoing, so to talk about the details could be counter-productive," Strugar said. "The most important issue is to identify the perpetrators and bring them to justice." No casualties were reported on either side in Friday's incident. The Lebanese army said the village of Al-Qlaileh was hit in the retaliatory bombardment and ambulances were rushed from the port city of Tyre, nine kilometres (five miles) away. On Saturday UN peacekeepers were monitoring the border, where the situation was reported "calm," UNIFIL spokeswoman Yasmina Bouziane told AFP. |
| Posted by:Fred |