JERUSALEM, Jan. 3 (UPI) -- Israel will build a wall separating its northernmost town from a village in Lebanon to try to ease sporadic tensions, an Israeli army spokesman said.
Construction of the long wall between Metula, an Israeli community of 1,400, and the southern Lebanese village of Kfar Kila is scheduled to start in weeks, the official Chinese news agency, Xinhua, said Tuesday.
"The area in question has been a source of friction in the past," said an Israeli defense spokesman, whose name was not reported.
A Lebanese army spokesperson said the country's military was aware a wall is to be built but had not seen any signs construction had started.
Israeli authorities allege the area is a hot spot of drug smuggling activity. There have been occurrences of friction between Lebanese and Israeli military patrols while apple farmers in Metula say they suffer at the hands of rock throwers while working in their fields, Xinhua said.
The wall -- which is planned to be 16 feet high and 0.6 miles long, and will be equipped with alarms, motion detectors and surveillance equipment -- will be the first of more security walls, Xinhua reported.
