Israeli-Lebanese border tensions escalate

BEIRUT, Lebanon, July 21 (UPI) -- Tensions escalated Tuesday as Lebanese military forces warned residents against approaching Israeli outposts along the shared border.

Lebanese security officials said they detained as many as 10 people they claim were plotting attacks on peacekeepers with the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon.

Lebanese officials say at least nine of those suspects were Arab nationals from foreign countries who were plotting attacks on Lebanese targets abroad.

UNIFIL peacekeepers last week were involved in a skirmish with demonstrators who were protesting an investigation linked to the explosion of a weapons depot that Israel claims belonged to Hezbollah.

Hezbollah, through its al-Manar news service, says the Israeli military has sent reinforcements to the border, telling its soldiers to "open fire" on anyone attempting to cross the border.

Israeli military officials told the national newspaper Haaretz they were "disturbed" by mounting insecurity along the shared border with Lebanon, saying recent events suggest Hezbollah has no intention of disarming.

U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended the 34-day conflict between Hezbollah and Israeli in 2006, calls on the Shiite militia to disarm while ordering Israeli forces to respect Lebanese sovereignty.

Beirut, for its part, has lodged repeated complaints with the United Nations over the past several weeks charging Israeli forces with violating Lebanese airspace and territorial waters.