July 12, 2002	Friday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 1, 1423

RASHAYA (Lebanon) July 11: Israeli troops made a brief incursion into southern Lebanon on Thursday, across the eastern section of the border, the first since Israel ended its occupation of the area in May 2000, the police said.

Earlier, a Lebanese police source said a dozen Israeli troops in two jeeps and an unmarked car crossed the border near Shebaa village at 11:00 am, and entered 300 meters into Lebanese territory.

The armed troops then descended from the vehicles and one of them began observing the surrounding hills with binoculars; they remained there 10 minutes and then returned to Israel, the police source added.

The position was held by the Israeli army during its 22-year occupation of south Lebanon.

Responding to the report, Sharon spokesman Raanan Gissin denied the allegations, saying the Lebanese Shiite guerrilla group Hezbollah was probably behind the story.

“I don’t have information about it. Hezbollah is trying to inflame the situation. We have not moved beyond the established border,” he told AFP.

The army’s press office also denied any knowledge of an incursion.

Earlier at dawn, four 155 millimetre shells — fired from Israeli army positions in the Shebaa Farms region — landed in the same area, though there were no casualties, the Lebanese police said.

On Wednesday, Israel also fired from the Shebaa Farms on Lebanese territory, but did not provoke a response from Hezbollah guerrillas.

Gissin also denied that Israeli forces had fired first across the border.—AFP