Jordanians wounded in south Lebanon

The most serious incident since Israeli withdrawal

Its reported that that at least three Jordanian citizenshave been shot and wounded by Israeli troops who fired at them across the Lebanese-Israeli border.

The men are said to have been part of an official Jordanian trade union delegation visiting the Fatima Gate border crossing in south Lebanon.

It was not immediately clear why the soldiers opened fire, but according to some accounts, the Jordanians were shouting anti-Israeli slogans.

Kofi Annan promised 1,000 UN soldiers to guard the border

Israel's army radio said the soldiers shot at three Lebanese who were trying to cut the border fence near Fatima Gate.

According to the report, it was not clear to the soldiers whether those they fired on were trying to cross the fence to carry out an attack.

The wounded men were taken to a hospital in Marjayoun in southern Lebanon, Lebanese police said. Their injuries are not thought to be life threatening.

Delegation

Head of the Jordanian Doctors Association Tarek Tahboub told Associated Press news agency the delegation included members of 14 Jordanian associations.

Witnesses say they were cheering "Palestine is Arab" and "Allahu Akbar."

According to Mr Tahboub, one of the members of the delegation stood by the border fence shouting slogans, when Israeli soldiers emerged from a border outpost.

One of them opened fire at the crowd, he said.

Among the wounded was Ali Abu Sikar, secretary-general of the Engineers Union in Jordan, Mr Tahboub said.

Abu Sikar also heads a committee opposed to normalization of ties with Israel under a peace treaty signed in 1994.

Fatima Gate crossing has been closed since Israeli forces withdrew from Lebanon last month.

Popular spot

It has been a popular gathering spot, with people regularly shouting angry comments at the Israeli outpost five meters (15 feet) across the border.

United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan visited Lebanon this week as part of a regional tour after the Israeli withdrawal on 24 May.

He said 1,000 UN soldiers would come to Lebanon next month to help secure the Lebanese-Israeli borders.

The incident is the most serious since Israel completed its troop pullout from south Lebanon.