Israel briefly detains Lebanese shepherd crossing border

JERUSALEM, April 29 (Xinhua) -- Israel's army said on Sunday that it had briefly detained a Lebanese shepherd after she crossed the border from Lebanon into Israel.

An Israeli military spokesperson said she and another shepherd crossed the border near Mount Hermon in the Israel-annexed Golan Heights on Saturday.

"One of the shepherds was detained for questioning, after which she was freed to return to Lebanon," the spokesperson said.

Lebanese media identified the shepherd as Nohad Dali. Reports quoting the Lebanese military said she was caught in Shebaa, a disputed area which the Israelis claim as part of the annexed Golan Heights seized from Syria in 1967, while Lebanon considers it as a Lebanese territory.

The Lebanese army initially reported the woman was "abducted" by an Israeli army patrol and reported it to UNIFIL (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon), the United Nations peacekeeping force. UNIFIL is based on the border between Israel and Lebanon.

The last full-fledged war on this border took place in 2006 between Israel and the Iran-backed Lebanese military of Hezbollah.

The border area has seen mounting tensions over Hezbollah's involvement in the war in Syria, where its forces have gained more experience and better arsenal while fighting alongside the Syrian army. Enditem