UN condemns Israeli attack that killed UNIFIL soldier

United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan condemned an Israeli mortar attack in south Lebanon that killed William Kedian, a member of the Irish contingent in UNIFIL (the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon), the UN secretary general's spokesman, Fred Eckhard said, reading a statement.

The statement said that the secretary general called on the Israeli government and its allies to "take all necessary measures to ensure that the Israel Defense Forces and their local Lebanese auxiliary respect the non-combatant status of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon."

Kedian was the 77th peacekeeper in Lebanon to die from hostile fire since 1978, Eckhard said.