Shepherd escapes Israel, Lebanon says

BEIRUT, Lebanon, July 15 (UPI) -- Israeli forces Thursday failed to detain a Lebanese shepherd from an area just inside the so-called Blue Line, Lebanese security forces said.

A nine-member Israeli military team crossed into Lebanese territory accompanied by three tanks and attempted to kidnap a shepherd. Lebanon's National News Agency said the man fled to a joint checkpoint secured by U.N. peacekeepers and Lebanese military forces in the area.

"A joint team of the Lebanese army and the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon kicked off an inquiry into the incident to uncover its facts," the report added.

The Israeli military apprehended a 37-year-old shepherd in June from the Shebaa Farms region near southern Lebanon. UNIFIL physicians said they found "some bruises" on his body when he was returned.

The alleged abduction comes as U.N. officials are giving a cautious assessment about the security situation in Lebanon four years after Israel and Hezbollah clashed in a 34-day war beginning in July 2006.

Michael Williams, the U.N. special envoy to Lebanon, told the U.N. Security Council during a closed-door meeting on the cease-fire in Lebanon that while the situation had improved, more work was needed on both sides to ensure stability.

"Stated commitment is good, implementation in practice is better," he was quoted by the U.N. News Center as saying after the meeting.