Australian peacekeepers pulled out of S Lebanon

Canberra, July 27: Australia will withdraw 12 peacekeepers from southern Lebanon after four UN observers were killed in an Israeli air strike, Defence Minister Brendan Nelson said today.

''Late yesterday, we made a decision to bring our 12 Australian defence force personnel back from southern Lebanon to Beirut,'' Nelson told Australian Broadcasting Corp. radio.

Nelson said southern Lebanon remained a chaotic environment.

''There is quite a degree of risk to everybody in the south of Lebanon, not withstanding the efforts of the Israelis to target their attacks on Hizbollah sites,'' Nelson said.

Four U N observers were killed in an Israeli air strike on their post in south Lebanon on Tuesday.

Australia, a strong ally of the United States, has backed Israel's right to defend itself in the 16-day-old conflict against Hizbollah, which has killed more than 400 Lebanese and 51 Israelis.

''It is very important that Australians appreciate no matter how affronted we are by what Israel is doing, they are dealing with Hizbollah and Hamas who are committed to the abolition of Israel as a state,'' Nelson said.

Reuters

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