Lahd militia's arrest of Lebanese civilians protested by UNIFIL

The leadership of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon has strongly protested the South Lebanon Army's detention of a civilian working with UNIFIL.

Sources in the peace-keeping force said SLA militiamen on Monday detained two civilians. One of them was released after the protest and the other was taken to Khiam prison inside the occupied part of south Lebanon.

Meanwhile, the April Understanding monitoring committee, which comprises Syria, Lebanon, France, the US and Israel, started on Tuesday its second meeting this year at UNIFIL headquarters in the border town of Naqoura.

All members of the committee attended the meeting during which several Lebanese and Israeli complaints were under discussion. Lebanon accused Israel of violating the Understanding's provisions after occupation troops and the allied SLA militia bombarded last Thursday populated quarters of Jarjou in al-Tuffah district. A number of houses were directly hit, damages were inflicted on properties and the electricity grid.