United Nations, Oct 09: Warning that the situation between Israel and its neighbours Lebanon and Syria is deteriorating a top UN official has cautioned Tel Aviv against taking recourse to unilateral use of force and asked Lebanon to prevent attacks across the border. In a statement yesterday, senior United Nations envoy for the Middle East Terje Roed-Larsen said the cycle of attacks would only lead to more violence.

On Sunday Israeli forces crossed Lebanese airspace and struck deep inside Syria a facility which it said was a training-camp for militants. The Israeli action was in retaliation to suicide bomb attack in Haifa in which 19 people were killed.

An assault on Monday from Lebanese territory across the blue line - marking the line to which Israel had withdrawn from Lebanon ---killed an Israeli soldier. "Attacks and counter-attacks like these are leading US down a steep and precarious path towards more violence. I seriously advise the parties not to travel down that road. Instead, all parties should respect Security Council resolutions and the rules of international law," Roed-Larsen said after talks in Beirut with Lebanese president Emile Lahoud.

Bureau Report