Peacekeepers up Lebanon border patrols to stem violence

UNIFIL releases a statement saying that it has stepped up patrols along the border between Israel and Lebanon in a bid to tamp down on cross-border violence.

The statement notes that UNIFIL radars detected three rockets shot at Israel earlier in the evening, with one of the rockets landing in the sea, according to the IDF.

It says Israel fired eight 120-mm shells in response to the rocket fire.

UNIFIL chief Luciano Portolano is in contact with officials in Lebanon and Israel in a bid to restore calm, the statement says.

A Spanish UNIFIL peacekeeper drives an armored vehicle in the Lebanese town of Adaisseh, near the border with Israel, on January 19, 2015. (AFP/Mahmoud Zayyat)

“This is a serious incident in violation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701 and is clearly directed at undermining stability in the area. It is imperative to identify and apprehend the perpetrators of this attack. Additional troops have been deployed on the ground and patrols have been intensified across our area of operations in coordination with the LAF to prevent any further incidents,” Portolano says, according to the statement.

— Judah Ari Gross