Israeli raid kills four UN observers in Lebanon

Four UN observers were killed in an Israeli bombardment in the south Lebanon border town of Khiam.

An Israeli bomb destroyed a UN observer post on the border, killing four peacekeepers on Tuesday, a UN official said.

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The dead included observers from Austria, Canada, China and Finland, a senior Lebanese military official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to release the information to the media.

The bomb made a direct hit on the building and shelter of the observer post in the town of Khiyam near the eastern end of the border with Israel, said Milos Struger, spokesman for the UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon known as UNIFIL.

"Rescue workers were trying to clear the rubble, but Israeli firing continued even during the rescue operation," Struger said. A UN official in New York said four people were killed. He spoke on condition of anonymity because the information had not been formally released.

US Ambassador John Bolton said the Security Council was informed that four officers with the UN mission -- known by its acronym UNIFIL -- were killed, but he had no other information. "We're obviously very sorry about that were attempting to get information where we can to confirm the nature of the incident," Bolton said.

Five UNIFIL soldiers and one military observer have also been wounded, Struger said.