国际英语新闻：Clashes bring huge tension along Israel-Lebanon border

However, in Lebanon, the claim was that Israel fired an artillery shell over the frontier. The shell hit a military vehicle, leaving at least two Lebanese soldiers dead.

The Israeli government made its position very clear a short time after the incident. "Israel views the firing from Lebanon on an IDF patrol, which was operating along the Lebanese border in coordination with UNIFIL, as a grave violation of the UN Security Council Resolution 1701," the country's Foreign Ministry said in a statement, adding that it is filing an official protest with the UN.

"Israel holds the Lebanese government responsible for the grave incident, and warns of the consequences should these violations continue," the statement added.

The Lebanese leadership also filed a protest with the UN and roundly condemned Israel's "violation of Lebanese sovereignty and demands... the UN and the international community bear their responsibilities to pressure Israel to stop its aggression," the Lebanese web portal Naharnet quoted the country's Prime Minister Saad Hariri as saying.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad phoned his Lebanese counterpart Michel Suleiman to express "Syria's standing by Lebanon against the heinous aggression launched by Israel on the Lebanese territories," according to the official Syrian news agency SANA.

After the initial fire, the border region was reported to be calm but tense, with UNIFIL saying it was working to keep the peace.