Rockets from Lebanon injure Israeli

An Israeli police officer investigated the remains of a rocket yesterday. One of two rockets fired hit a mostly Christian Arab village in northern Israel, slightly injuring one person. (Yaron Kaminsky/Associated Press)

BEIRUT - Two rockets were fired from southern Lebanon toward northern Israel yesterday, triggering an Israeli response and raising fears of renewed hostilities on the tense border.

Lebanese leaders rushed to condemn the rocket attack and vowed not to allow southern Lebanon to become a launch pad for attacks against the Jewish state.

The brief cross-border exchange was the third this year. Israel and the militant group Hezbollah fought a brutal 34-day war in the region in 2006. More than 1,200 people in Lebanon - most of them civilians - and 159 in Israel died in the conflict.

It was not immediately known who fired the two rockets yesterday, and no group accepted responsibility.

One rocket slammed into a mostly Christian Arab village, slightly injuring at least one Israeli.

Lebanese security officials said the rockets were fired from the Mansouri and al-Qulaila areas near the coastal town of Naqoura. Officials with the United Nations peacekeeping mission in south Lebanon said the second rocket fell short, landing in Lebanon.

An Israeli army spokesman said a woman was injured and the military responded to the rockets. He would not specify the kind of response, but Lebanese security officials said Israel fired at least six shells on villages in the area where the rockets had been launched.

No injuries were reported. The security officials spoke on condition of anonymity in line with military regulations.

President Michel Suleiman of Lebanon condemned the rocket attack. In a statement released by his office, Suleiman said the firing of rockets on Israel posed a challenge to the Lebanese government.

The Israeli military said the Lebanese government and military were responsible for preventing such attacks.