One injured in skirmish along Israel-Lebanon border

Reporting from Jerusalem — Tensions heightened along the Israeli-Lebanese border Sunday after a Lebanese fighter was injured by gunshots fired by Israeli soldiers at an army patrol, media in Lebanon reported.

According to a statement from Israel’s military, its soldiers identified “a cell” crossing into Israeli territory and opened fire, injuring one person and causing the infiltrators to retreat.

“We will continue to protect Israeli sovereignty in the border area,” the army said, adding that the circumstances of the incident were being examined.

The incident took place in a reportedly unfenced section of the border area known as the Shebaa Farms in Lebanon and Har Dov in Israel. The Lebanese army was coordinating with the United Nations Interim Forces in Lebanon to investigate the incident, it said.

A report in Lebanon’s Daily Star news site claimed Israeli forces “routinely violate” the internationally recognized “Blue Line” that demarcates Israel’s withdrawal from Lebanon in 2000.

According to Israeli army tweets after the incident, the Israeli force was engaged in operational activity in the area. The army did not elaborate on the nature of the operation.

Israeli statements did not make clear whether the Lebanese were soldiers from the Lebanese army or members of another group. The Lebanese army said the Israeli soldiers had fired on one of its posts.

Sobelman is a special correspondent