Israel says Lebanon blast a secret Hezbollah cache

By Dan Williams

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Hezbollah guerrillas have secretly stockpiled rockets and other arms in southern Lebanon, Israel said on Wednesday, citing as proof the explosion of a suspected cache in the U.N.-patrolled truce zone.

Tuesday morning's blast hit a Hezbollah arsenal in the village of Khirbet Selim, near the Israeli border, a Lebanese security source said. It was not clear how old the ordnance was.

Hezbollah had no comment on the incident. UNIFIL, the U.N. peacekeeper force that was beefed up after Israel and Hezbollah fought a 2006 war in south Lebanon, said it and the Lebanese army were investigating.

Israel has accused Iranian and Syrian-sponsored Hezbollah of rearming in the former battlegrounds, a violation of the U.N. Security Council cease-fire resolution. Israel has itself been in breach by continuing military overflights of the area.

Briefing reporters, an Israeli military official said the blast had rocked the area and destroyed a building.

Denying knowledge of what had caused the explosion, the official described the site as "one of dozens of ammunition and rocket storage (sites) in south Lebanon."

Hezbollah quickly cordoned off the blast site and took items away, the Israeli official said.

"The Lebanese army let Hezbollah manage this event and (did) not help UNIFIL do its job in the area."