Lebanon on Friday formally asked the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) to extend its mandate for another six months till the end of next January.

Lebanese Foreign Minister Mahmoud Hammoud made the call in a message he sent to UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan.

Hammoud told the press that the country requests a six-month renewal of UNIFIL's mandate, because the UN Security Council resolution 425 was not fully implemented in terms of halting Israeli aggression on Lebanese territories.

He said he had discussed with the UN special envoy for south Lebanon Geir Pedersen the recent security deterioration in the region and held contacts with UN Security Council members to keep the council posted on the situation there.

While warning of the consequences of continued Israeli aggression, the foreign minister denounced that Israeli planes had dropped leaflets, which constituted a flagrant aggression on Lebanon's sovereignty.

Meanwhile, responding to a question on the recent clashes between Lebanon's resistance group Hezbollah (party of god) and the Israeli forces, Pedersen said Hezbollah was the first to open fire at the Israeli soldiers.

The United Nations would continue performing its role to maintain security and stability in South Lebanon, he stressed.

Israeli aircraft launched missiles at Hezbollah positions at a Lebanese border area on Thursday evening.

The attacks came after Israel Defense Forces (IDF) troops exchanged fire during the morning hours with a group of Hezbollah guerillas who crossed the border Wednesday afternoon and launched an attack, in which an IDF soldier was killed and three others were wounded.

Source: Xinhua