Israeli and Lebanese Army troops exchanged fire on the border near Maroun al-Ras, the first shots fired since the cessation of hostilities last summer. A wayward bulldozer apparently sparked the incident, and the UN has started deploying peacekeepers in the area (via Israel Matzav):

Shooting erupted across the Israeli-Lebanese border last night for the first time since last summer's war, when Lebanese troops opened fire on an Israeli bulldozer that apparently crossed the UN-demarcated boundary.

A Reuters correspondent at the scene and Israeli security sources said the clash began after the Lebanese troops shot in the air as an Israeli patrol crossed a security fence to search for explosives planted by Hizbullah. Israeli troops responded with tank and light weapons fire, Israeli security officials said.

The exchange, the first since a ceasefire ended a 34-day war last August, broke out near the Lebanese village of Maroun al-Ras in the central sector of the border. There were no casualties.

This should give UNIFIL forces something to do besides watching Hezbollah terrorists replenish their weapons stocks. The presence of UN troops will certainly make the Israelis stop firing, and perhaps the Lebanese Army troops, too. If nothing else happens to exacerbate the tension, that should be enough to defuse it.

One has to wonder whether Hezbollah might not take advantage of this situation. They could start conducting missions in the Maroun al-Ras area to create another flashpoint for an IDF-LA battle, one with more impact and more damage. Hassan Nasrallah needs the Lebanese Army on his side if he ever decides to tangle with the IDF again, and staging a provocation might do the trick.

Nasrallah has more than enough problems at the moment. He admitted last week that he had miscalculated Israel's response last summer to his last provocation, and less than six months later, he can hardly afford another mistake. If he wanted to start a war, though, he could do so rather easily -- as a simple mistake proved yesterday.

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Israel, Lebanon Exchange Fire At Border Ed MorrisseyIsraeli and Lebanese Army troops exchanged fire on the border near Maroun al-Ras, the first shots fired since the cessation of hostilities last summer. A wayward bulldozer apparently sparked the incid... [Read More]

Tracked on February 8, 2007 11:23 AM