Lebanon, UN open probe into Israeli claim of foiled arms smuggling

Beirut, June 19 The UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) and the authorities in Beirut have opened an investigation into a claim by Israel that it has thwarted an attempt to smuggle weapons, a security source said.

The Israeli Army informed the UNIFIL that it arrested a suspect who tried to pick a bag containing 12 pistols left in a spot in the Lebanese border town of Khiyam facing the Israeli settlement of Motella, the source told Xinhua news agency on Friday.

According to the source, an Israeli infantry force, backed by armoured vehicles, carried out a wide combing operation on Friday along the border fence separating Lebanon and Israel around the perimeter of Motella.

The Lebanese Army, in coordination with UNIFIL, monitored the Israeli force until it withdrew from the border fence.

The border line between Lebanon and Israel extends about 120 km and witnesses occasional tension between the two countries' armies.

The UNIFIL was created by the Security Council in March 1978 to confirm Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon, restore international peace and security and assist the Lebanese Government in restoring its effective authority in the area.