UN peacekeepers say found Katyushas in S.Lebanon

TYRE, Lebanon, Nov 19 (Reuters) UN peacekeepers today said they had found 17 Katyusha rockets and explosives in south Lebanon since the start of September.

A military spokesman for the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said in the latest incident the peacekeepers found seven rockets, three shells and ammunition in the village of Berghouz in the mainly Druze sector of south Lebanon on Friday.

The spokesman said the other finds were made in the nearby Rashaya al-Fukhar village.

Peacekeepers have informed the Lebanese army of the weapons' finds and asked it to deal with them. He said the peacekeepers had not run into guerrillas from the Shi'ite Muslim Hezbollah, which fought a war against Israeli forces in July/August.

A UN resolution that ended the fighting in mid-August banned weapons in south Lebanon and beefed up the number of UNIFIL peacekeepers. About 10,000 Lebanese soldiers were also deployed in the area south of the Litani River.

Hezbollah fired around 4,000 rockets at Israel during the 34-day confrontation. Israel used aircraft, warships and artillery to pound Lebanon. Around 1,200 Lebanese and 157 Israelis were killed in the fighting.

The spokesman said UNIFIL was taking ''firm measures'' to stop any illegal armed presence south of Litani in line with Lebanese government decisions and the UN resolution.

REUTERS DKS PM0429