(KUNA) -- The UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) and the Lebanese army have jointly stepped up security measures along the southern Lebanon Litani River, UNIFIL spokeswoman Yasmine Bouziane said on Wednesday. The move came after suspicious armed incidents were reported from checkpoints off the river at the area where UNIFIL is stationed, she said. She added that the presence of armed men at the UNIFIl operation site is a breach of the UN Resolution 1701.
According to the resolution, the area lying between the border Blue Line and the Litani River in south Lebanon must be free of militants, military equipment and weapons, except for Lebanese and UNIFIL forces.
The Litani River is an important waterway in southern Lebanon. It rises west of Baalbek in the fertile Beqaa Valley and empties in the Mediterranean Sea north of Tyre, one of Lebanon's largest cities. Exceeding 140 km, it is the longest river that originates and flows entirely within the borders of Lebanon. Most of its catchment area was under Israeli control during 1978 and from 1982 to 2000. It is a major water supply for Southern Lebanon. |