Lebanese official says 2 soldiers dead in shelling

[August 03, 2010]  BEIRUT (AP) -- A Lebanese security official says two Lebanese soldiers have been killed in shelling following clashes with Israeli troops along the border.

Tuesday's fighting has been the most serious since a fierce war four years ago.

The Lebanese official spoke on condition of anonymity under military guidelines. He says Israeli shelling struck near a military vehicle in the border town of Adaisseh, setting it on fire and killing two soldiers inside the vehicle. At least one soldier was seriously wounded.

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AP's earlier story is below.

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BEIRUT (AP) -- Lebanese and Israeli troops exchanged fire on the border Tuesday, leaving three soldiers wounded in the most serious clashes since a fierce war four years ago, authorities said.

There were conflicting accounts of what sparked the gunfire.

Israeli military spokesman Capt. Barak Raz said the fighting broke out as soldiers were on a routine patrol. He said the force was inside Israeli territory when it came under fire.

The Israelis retaliated with artillery fire, the officials said.

Israeli military officials said two soldiers were critically wounded, while a Lebanese army officer said one Lebanese soldier was lightly wounded.

The Lebanese officer said one of the shells hit a house in the Lebanese border town of Aadassi. It was not clear if there were casualties in that incident.

The Lebanese officer said the clash occurred as Israeli troops tried to remove a tree from the Lebanese side of the border.

The officials all spoke on condition of anonymity under military guidelines.

The border has been relatively quiet since the summer 2006 Israel-Hezbollah war that left 1,200 Lebanese and about 160 Israelis dead. Tuesday's fighting did not appear to involve Hezbollah fighters.

After the 2006 war, the U.N. deployed 12,000-member peacekeeping force, known as UNIFIL, in the area.

UNIFIL confirmed that the Lebanese and Israeli armies exchanged fire and said it was urging "maximum restraint."

"UNIFIL peacekeepers are in the area and are trying to ascertain the circumstances of the incident and any possible casualties," said UNIFIL spokesman Neeraj Singh. "Our immediate priority at this time is to restore calm in the area."

[Associated Press; By BASSEM MROUE]

Associated Press writer Josef Federman in Jerusalem contributed to this report.

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