Hezbollah denies link to Tuesday explosion

BEIRUT, Lebanon, Oct. 15 (UPI) -- Hezbollah accused Israel of spreading lies with its claim the Shiite organization was linked to an explosion in the southern Lebanese town of Tayr Felsay.

The U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon joined the Lebanese military in its investigation into a Tuesday blast that injured or wounded a Hezbollah official in the southern village of Tayr Felsay.

Arab media reports the explosion occurred at the home of the Hezbollah official who was trying to defuse a rocket left over from the 34-day war between Israel and Hezbollah in 2006.

Hezbollah on its al-Manar news station says Israel has come forward with footage from a surveillance drone showing Lebanese men "removing dozens of rockets" from the area following the blast.

In its own account of the events on the ground, Hezbollah said it has video showing a delivery truck removing a sliding door and furniture, but no weapons.

Walid Jumblatt, the Druze leader of the Hezbollah-allied Progressive Socialist Party, complained Thursday the Israeli drone evidence suggests a violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions protecting Lebanese territory.

"What was an enemy plane doing over a southern village?" he questioned.

Tensions along the border between Israel and Lebanon intensified during the summer. Lebanon filed a series of complaints with the United Nations regarding Israeli violations of its territory while Israel accused Hezbollah of amassing weapons along the border.