Fire exchanged along Israel-Lebanon border after militant’s death

PanARMENIAN.Net - Weapons fire was exchanged along the Israel-Lebanon border on Sunday, December 20 after the death of a Lebanese militant, CNN reports.

The Israeli military responded with artillery fire into southern Lebanon after rockets were fired at Israel from its northern neighbor, according to a statement from the Israeli Defense Forces.

The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon said it detected three rockets fired from the general area of Al Hinniyah in southern Lebanon toward Israel on Sunday evening, and that the "IDF retaliated with approximately eight rounds of 120mm mortar fire that impacted near Zibqin in southern Lebanon."

There were no immediate reports of causalities on either side.

Earlier Sunday, alert sirens went off near the city of Nahariya as three rockets landed in northern Israel, according to the IDF.

The rockets came after Hezbollah TV reported that a Lebanese militant who served 30 years in an Israeli prison for murder has been killed in Syria.

Samir Kuntar was released in a prisoner swap between Israel and Hezbollah seven years ago. His brother, Bassam Kuntar, also confirmed his death on social media.

Hezbollah accused Israel of carrying out the airstrike that hit a residential building in the suburbs of Damascus, killing Samir Kuntar. The Israeli military declined to comment on the accusation.

An Israeli court sentenced Kuntar to 542 years for taking part in a deadly attack that killed three Israelis in 1979. He was 16 at the time of the attack. Among the Israelis killed was a 4-year-old girl and her father.

Kuntar was released from prison in a 2008 prisoner exchange. He was traded for the remains of Israeli soldiers who had been captured and killed by Hezbollah.