Defense establishment set to asses IDF-LAF clash

Senior defense officials were set to hold a special meeting on Thursday following Wednesday night's clash between IDF Engineering Corps troops and the Lebanese Army. The incident on Wednesday evening was the first IDF operation beyond the border fence that involved tanks since the Lebanon war in August. Immediately after the event, Defense Minister Amir Peretz held consultations with outgoing Chief of General Staff Lt.-Gen. Dan Halutz and with other top IDF officers. "The operation was undertaken on Israeli sovereign ground and was meant to prevent [Hizbullah from] planting landmines," Israel Radio quoted Peretz as saying.