Beirut – Residents: Rocket Fired From Lebanon Towards Israel

Beirut – A rocket was fired from southern Lebanon towards Israel late Sunday night, Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reported.

The news agency said the rocket was fired from a location near the southern town of Marjayoun, about six miles (10 kilometers) north of the Israeli border. It was not immediately clear who fired the rocket or whether it caused any damage or casualties.

The Israeli military did not confirm that a rocket was fired, but said residents in northern Israel reported hearing an explosion. The military said it was searching the area and trying to determine the circumstances behind the explosion.

In addition to the Shiite Muslim Hezbollah militia, militant Palestinian groups are also known to operate in south Lebanon.

The incident came at a time of heightened tensions in Lebanon as Syria’s civil war has spilled over into its neighbor with street clashes and other violence.

Earlier Sunday, two rockets hit Hezbollah strongholds in south Beirut, tearing through an apartment and car dealership, wounding four Syrian workers. There was no claim of responsibility, but the attack was widely portrayed as retaliation for Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah’s pledge that the Shiite militia would fight alongside Syrian President Bashar Assad’s forces until victory over Syrian rebels.