The Italian commander of UN peacekeepers in south Lebanon said Thursday that the role of his troops is to support the Lebanese army in the volatile region abutting Israel, local Naharnet news website reported.

Gen. Claudio Graziano said the role of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) is to "support the Lebanese army in line with UN Security Council resolution 1701" which ended a 34-day war between Hezbollah and Israel on Aug. 14 last year.

In a reference to a fire exchange between Lebanese and Israeli troops Wednesday night, Graziano, talking to reporters after meeting with Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri in Beirut, said it was a "serious incident... I do not want to comment on it before completion of the investigation."

On late Wednesday night, Lebanese troops opened fire on an Israeli bulldozer after it crossed a southern border area and entered about 20 yards into Lebanon, Hezbollah Al-Manar TV reported.

Local press also quoted Israeli army as saying that shooting erupted on the Israel-Lebanon border during an Israeli operation to search for bombs planted by Hezbollah guerrillas.

Earlier Thursday, the UN truce observers arrived at the Lebanese-Israeli border hours after Lebanese troops and Israeli soldiers exchanged fire in the first such incident since the end of the war last summer.

Source: Xinhua