Lebanese foreign ministry blames Israeli ammunition for south blast
BEIRUT. July 27. KAZINFORM The Lebanese Foreign Ministry has informed the United Nations that Khirbet Silim blast on July 14 in southern Lebanon was caused by Israel's leftover ammunition, Kazinform refers to Xinhua.
"The July 14 explosion was caused by the ammunition depot which was the leftover of the Israeli army," the ministry was quoted as saying in its letter to the UN.
An ammunition depot located in an abandoned building on the outskirts of Khirbet Silim, about 20 km from the Lebanon-Israel border, exploded on July 14 with no casualties.
The UN said on July 16 that it considered the explosion a "serious violation of UN resolution 1701".
However, Hezbollah's second in command Sheikh Naim Qassem broke silence last week, saying that the explosion was set off by old shells collected during and after Israel's withdrawal from Lebanonin 2000, not a secret arms cache, Kazinform cites Xinhua. See www.chinaview.cn for full version.