BEIRUT, June 14 (Xinhua) -- Lebanon's Foreign Ministry said Sunday it had submitted two complaints to the United Nations (UN), accusing Israel of using a herbicide over southern Lebanese border villages and of targeting a Lebanese army vehicle in a deadly strike earlier this month.
The ministry said in a statement it sent a letter Wednesday to the UN Security Council and secretary-general, citing a report by Lebanon's National Council for Scientific Research alleging that Israel sprayed glyphosate over border villages on Feb. 1.
According to the ministry, lab tests on soil from the villages of Aita al-Shaab, Ras Naqoura, and Al Dhahira confirmed glyphosate levels up to 22,750 micrograms per gram, adding that using herbicides as weapons violates the Chemical Weapons Convention.
In a separate letter sent on Thursday, the ministry informed the UN of ongoing Israeli attacks in Lebanon, including a strike on June 6 that targeted a Lebanese army vehicle on the Kfartebnit-Khardali road in southern Lebanon.
The strike killed two Lebanese army officers and a soldier, while they were carrying out their duties, the ministry said.
The ministry called on the UN to condemn the attack and take immediate measures to ensure compliance with the UN Charter and relevant international resolutions, including UN Security Council Resolution 1701.
It added the attack occurred as U.S.-mediated Lebanon-Israel talks were underway in Washington to seek a lasting peace to ensure regional security and stability. ■
