Gunfire erupts on Israel-Lebanon border
BEIRUT (CNN) -- Lebanese army troops fired Wednesday on Israeli troops hunting for explosives along the Israel-Lebanon border, Lebanese army and Israeli military sources said.
A U.N. official confirmed the exchange Thursday.
"In a serious incident last night, the Lebanese army and IDF (Israel Defense Forces) exchanged fire across the Blue Line in the area of Maroun a-Rus," said U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) spokesman Milos Strugar.
"The exchange was initiated by the Lebanese army after an IDF bulldozer crossed the technical fence in an apparent attempt to clear the area between the technical fence and the Blue Line of mines." (Posted 4:16 a.m.)
U.S. Defense Secretary to talk about Afghanistan during NATO conference
SEVILLE, Spain (CNN) -- U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates arrived in Seville on Thursday for a two-day NATO conference with defense ministers.
Gates is scheduled to participate in nine bilateral meetings, with the war in Afghanistan expected to be at the forefront of topics.
A senior defense official said the Gates will ask countries who have made troop pledges in Afghanistan to fulfill their commitments.
American troops are deployed in Afghanistan under both NATO and U.S.-led coalition commands.
"Afghanistan is on our agenda," the official said. "This upcoming spring in Afghanistan is a pivotal moment in the conflict and we are encouraging the allies to do as much as they can as soon as they can." (Posted 3:54 a.m.)
Car bombs kill at least 22 people, wound 66
BAGHDAD (CNN) -- A pair of deadly car bomb attacks across Iraq Thursday killed at least 22 people and wounded 66 others, authorities said.
In Azizya, about 100 miles (160 km) southeast of Baghdad, a car bomb exploded in a meat market, killing at least 15 people and wounding 50 others, an Interior Ministry official told CNN.
In Baghdad, seven people were killed and 16 wounded when a car bomb exploded outside a mosque in the capital's southeastern Amin neighborhood Thursday morning, police said. (Posted 3:39 a.m.)
Deputy health ministry arrested in U.S., Iraqi raid
BAGHDAD (CNN) -- U.S. and Iraqi forces raided an Iraqi Health Ministry complex in central Baghdad Thursday morning, arresting the deputy health minister, an Interior Ministry official said.
Taken in the raid was deputy health minister Hakem Abbas al-Zamili -- also a senior member of the political group loyal to radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr.
Al-Sadr's Mehdi Army is blamed for a large part of the sectarian violence in Iraq. (Posted 2:51 a.m.)
