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aktarian · 04-29-2008, 14:04 PM

and now something completly unrelated....

Quote:

Lebanese army: 12 Israeli warplanes fly over country

BEIRUT, Lebanon: Israeli warplanes violated Lebanese airspace on Monday, flying on reconnaissance missions over Beirut and elsewhere in the country, the Lebanese army said.

The army said in a statement that "12 enemy Israeli warplanes" violated Lebanese airspace before noon, four flew over the Mediterranean off the coastal city of Byblos in the north and headed toward the eastern province of Hermel.

Eight other Israeli warplanes flew over the southern town of Rmeish, then headed north to Beirut, the Chouf mountains, southeast of the capital, and Hermel before heading back to the "occupied territories," the statement said. It added that the Israeli overflights lasted about an hour.

There was no immediate statement from the Israeli army which usually does not comment on its flights in Lebanon.

Israeli warplanes frequently fly over south Lebanon in what Israel says are reconnaissance missions. The overflights have drawn ground fire from Lebanese troops on at least two occasions since a U.N.-brokered cease-fire ended a 34-day war between Israel and Hezbollah guerrillas in August 2006.

Lebanon insists incursions into its waters or airspace violate the United Nations Security Council resolution that ended the 2006 conflict.

The overflights have been a constant source of tension between the two countries.

Lebanon has complained in the past to the U.N. about the Israeli overflights. The U.N. has repeatedly called on Israel to stop its overflights, describing them as a violation of Lebanese sovereignty.

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