BEIRUT, Feb 8: Prime Minister Fuad Siniora on Thursday ordered the Lebanese army to respond to any new Israeli violation of Lebanese sovereignty after an overnight cross-border clash.

“Siniora was in contact with the army command... and gave clear orders for the confrontation of any Israeli violation of Lebanese sovereignty,” the state National News Agency reported.

It said Siniora met early on Thursday with Gier Pedersen, the United Nations representative in Lebanon, over the overnight exchange of shots between Lebanese and Israeli troops at the border.

“Siniora informed Pedersen that the Lebanese government rejects these new Israeli aggressions on Lebanese sovereignty,” said the agency.

“It is a violation of the Blue Line,” the line drawn by the United Nations delineating the Lebanese-Israeli border.

“It is a new violation in addition to the Israeli air violations of Lebanese sovereignty which never stopped after the ceasefire declared last August” ended Israel’s war against the Lebanese Shiite Hezbollah movement.

Late on Wednesday, the Lebanese army fired at Israeli troops at the border and Israeli forces returned fire. No casualties were reported on either side.

The incident was sparked by Israeli sappers moving in to clear unexploded ordnance, both sides said.—AFP