Israel says excavations near al-Aqsa to continue

JERUSALEM, Feb 13 (Reuters) The Israeli government today said excavations near Jerusalem's al-Aqsa mosque which triggered Muslim protests would continue, denying a newspaper report that the work had been called off.

''The archaeological salvage dig which started last week, as a first stage on the way to constructing the new bridge, will continue as planned,'' Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's spokeswoman Miri Eisin said.

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