BEIRUT, July 21 (Xinhua) -- Four members of the Lebanese Red Cross were injured on Tuesday in a landmine explosion caused by remnants of war as a Red Cross convoy was entering the town of Zawtar al-Sharqiyah in southern Lebanon, Lebanon's official National News Agency (NNA) reported.
According to the agency, the explosion occurred while the convoy was traveling on the Maifdoun-Zawtar road, where a cluster of landmines left behind from previous conflicts detonated.
The NNA added that accompanying teams faced difficulties evacuating the wounded due to the presence of suspicious unexploded objects at the site.
The incident came amid rapidly evolving developments in the twin towns of Zawtar al-Gharbiyah and Zawtar al-Sharqiyah, as the Lebanese army has begun implementing the first phase of "pilot areas" linked to security arrangements with Israel in southern Lebanon.
Earlier on Tuesday, Lebanese army units entered Zawtar al-Gharbiyah as part of a deployment plan, while engineering units moved in to secure roads and inspect suspicious objects and war remnants.
Meanwhile, the Lebanese army command said Israeli forces had opened fire near its units during the deployment operation, warning that the incident could hinder the implementation of deployment measures.
For its part, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement that its troops operating in the IDF-held "security zone" in southern Lebanon fired warning shots into the air to drive away Lebanese soldiers who had entered the area.
The Israeli military said it identified Lebanese army soldiers, accompanied by an engineering vehicle, crossing about 150 meters into the security zone and breaching barriers near the town of Zawtar al-Sharqiya, "in violation of understandings between the two sides." ■
