IMPEACHMENT PROCEDURALLY FATAL - PM President advised, removal flawed and illegal

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday stated that as there was a serious defect in the process of impeachment moved in Parliament against Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranaike, her removal by former President Mahinda Rajapaksa was totally illegal. He also stated that as the process of impeachment was flawed and the removal was illegal, Shirani Bandaranaike was not considered removed from the post of Chief Justice, and the appointment of Mohan Peiris is illegal and considered invalid.

The Prime Minister further said that the Speaker had acted as per House rules with the motion moved in Parliament and the debate was held accordingly, but, the President's Secretariat had to determine if the resolution was an impeachment.

He added that the President's advisers had to instruct the President he had two options, to decide if it was not based on a proper impeachment and to send it back to Parliament for amendments.

Or, the second option was to amend the Standing Orders. He added that it seems that the adviser to the President had the need to sit in the office which fell vacant. He said neither the Speaker nor the House had made any mistake in this matter at hand. The Prime Minister quoting the motion said that, at the end of the motion included in the order paper on November 6, 2012 it was stated, "The aforementioned Members of Parliament resolve that a Select Committee of Parliament be appointed in terms of Article 107(3) of the Constitution read with the provisions of Article 107(2) and Standing Order 78A of Parliament enabling the submission of a resolution to the President for the removal of Dr. Shirani Bandaranayake from the office of the Chief Justice of Sri Lanka in the event the Select Committee reports to Parliament that one or more of the charges that have been levelled been proved after the aforesaid charges of misconduct have been investigated."

The Prime Minister further stated that however the same content was included in the motion on January 11, 2013 when the motion was taken for debate. The resolution of the House on the same motion was sent to the President in writing.

The Prime Minister further added that the House passed the resolution under Section 107 of the Constitution and Standing Order 78A(2). He added the letter did not contain anything with regard to the 78A(7). He added that this is what actually happened in the House and the process of impeachment was full of defects. He added that Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake has been removed by former President based on something other than a resolution in Parliament to remove her from the office. He added that the removal of Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake is illegal.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe made this observation yesterday in response to a statement made by the Opposition Leader under Standing Order 23(2) and Point of Order made by Parliamentarian Dinesh Gunawardena. The Prime Minister further said that he also would recall the incident that took place on the day of the Presidential Election. "I went to Temple Trees on January 9 at 4 am on the request of the then President Mahinda Rajapaksa. He stated when he went to Temple Tree, Mohan Peiris was there. He said the Attorney General told him later that Mohan Peiris was at Temple Trees at 2.30 am at the time the Attorney General went there to give the President legal advice. The Prime Minister further said Mohan Peiris later telephoned him and said some groups attempted to remove the CJ from office. He expressed his wish to extend his support to the government as the Chief Justice. The Prime Minister said the Chief Justice asked for an appointment to discuss the matter to which he answered that he would given be given an opportunity to talk with the President and himself. He invited Thilak Marapana for the discussion.

The Prime Minister said Mohan Peiris came to meet him with his wife and two doctors. At the discussion, Mohan Peiris said that it is better if the Executive and the CJ work together. Prime Minister Wickremesinghe said that he told to Peiris that he would discuss with the BASL and inform its opinion to Peiris.

The Prime Minister said the Executive Committee of the BASL met on January 17 and unanimously stated that Mohan Peiris' appointment to the office of Chief Justice was illegal. The Prime Minister said that when he conveyed that message to Mohan Peiris, he said that he would resign from the office of CJ if he is granted the position of Ambassador to Geneva.The Prime Minister said that the position of Ambassador to Geneva had not fallen vacant, and there might be a vacancy in Brazil, Vietnam or Rome in a few weeks time.The Prime Minister further said that the Secretary to the President informed the President and himself,that Mohan Peiris had not asked for an Ambassador's post. He further said although he requested Mohan Peiris to meet him at 8.30 am on January 22, he did not come.

The Prime Minister further said on January 26, senior BASL members informed him that Mohan Peiris should resign.

He added that the BASL had passed a resolution. The BASL was concerned about Mohan Peiris' presence at the Presidential candidate's residence on January 9, 2015. The BASL confirmed my doubts about stating that it was not fair by the CJ to be seen with a Presidential candidate at that moment in time. The Prime Minister further said Mohan Peiris' name is connected with several companies like Rakna Lanka Pvt Ltd and Lanka Logistics Company.

Under these circumstances, the President in keeping with the Constitution, the National Executive Committee and the Attorney General, stated that the correct measure would be to inform Mohan Peiris that the appointment made by the former President is null and void. The President also informed Shirani Bandaranayake to resume duties as the Chief Justice. According to Section 119(2) of the Constitution, the judgments issued during the period when Shirani Bandaranayake was not in office are considered as judgments issued by the Supreme Court.

The Prime Minister further stated that after re-assuming duties, the Chief Justice expressed her wish to retire the following day. He added Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake was welcomed and was bade farewell by State Counsels and other attorney-at-laws at the traditional Ceremonial Sitting. At this stage Opposition Leader Nimal Siripala De Silva stated that as discussed earlier, sittings be suspended to hold the Party Leader's Meeting to decide on a debate on this statement. He added the Party Leader's Meeting was to be held at 12.30 pm. He said but the government members were not present and later decided to suspend sittings to hold the Party Leader's Meeting.

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Parliament suspended twice

Sandasen Marasinghe and Disna Mudalige

Parliament was suspended twice yesterday by Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa as there were heated arguments on the statement by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe on matters pertaining to the appointment of the Chief Justice.

Prime Minister Wickremesinghe responding to questions raised by Opposition Leader Nimal Siripala and MP Dinesh Gunawardena in Parliament on Thursday made a special statement yesterday at the beginning of the sittings. As the Opposition Leader urged to convene a Party Leaders' Meeting soon after the statement, the Speaker suspended the House at 2.15 pm to facilitate time for the Party Leaders to meet. The House resumed at 3 pm and again a tense situation prevailed due to the demand of Opposition MPs to immediately facilitate a debate on the Prime Minister's statement. 

[Parliament] 31.01.2015 House suspended to convene Party Leaders' meeting SANDASEN MARASINGHE and DISNA MUDALIGE

Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa presided when Parliament met at 1.30 pm yesterday. After the presentation of papers Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe made a special statement on the issue pertaining to the appointment of the Chief Justice. Opposition Leader Nimal Siripala de Silva requested a Party Leader's meeting soon after the statement and the House was suspended by the Speaker at 2.15 pm to convene a Party Leader's Meeting.

The House resumed at 3.00 pm.

Dinesh Gunawardena: We want a clarification on the debate we requested, on the statement made by the Prime Minister on the Chief Justice. When we were in the government, we always gave time for the Opposition Leader to speak. Do not try to suppress us.

Wimal Weerawansa: We cannot agree to a long date to debate this issue. Removing judges forcefully, has now become a trend. Let us have an opportunity to speak on this matter.

Leader of the House and Plantation Industries Minister Lakshman Kiriella: We will definitely give a date for the debate but it will not be today. No statement made has been debated on the same day in the history of Parliament.

Chief Opposition Whip W.D.J. Seneviratne: The removal of Mohan Peiris is a hot topic today. Let us debate this matter and then the Speaker can adjourn it to a future date.

Joseph Michael Perera: We have an agenda today. The Bill on the agenda is important. It affects the entire country. We cannot postpone it.

Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa (in Chair): The Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (Amendment) Bill is important.

Opposition Leader Nimal Siripala De Silva: If what the government wants is to pass this Bill, then the Opposition is ready to give its support to pass it immediately. It is that only the opinion expressed by the Prime Minister will be reported tomorrow. That is why we as well, need an opportunity to express our opinion on the matter. I ask Prime Minister Wickremesinghe to be flexible on this matter.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe: We also want to take up the matter for a debate soon but the problem is that roads leading to Parliament will be closed from today, for rehearsals of the Independence Day celebrations. The earliest date we can give is February 5. There is one more thing that should be stated. It is not the SLFPers who shout today in Parliament but the others. Opposition Leader Siripala De Silva earlier agreed to a future date. Those 'shouting outsiders' in the Opposition, are responsible for the plight of the SLFP today. The Independence Day ceremony is an important event in the country. Does the Opposition want to stop it?

Tissa Vitarana: The removal of the Chief Justice is not a minor matter. It affects the future of the judiciary and the democracy of the country. I wish to ask if this is good governance.

Leader of the House and Minister Lakshman Kiriella: Our President is the Chairman of the SLFP. This is a new political culture, let us work in unison.

Chief Opposition Whip John Seneviratne: We need to express our opinion on the Prime Minister's statement. Presentation of one-sided facts is not fair. That is why we are requesting an opportunity at least for one Speaker from our side.

Opposition Leader Nimal Siripala De Silva: As the name of our Party's Chairman was mentioned, I want to mention that the President had advised us to point out the shortcomings in the 100-day programme.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe: What is the urgency? Let us debate on a future date, peacefully.

Susil Premajayantha: We have the right to speak on this matter as there were arguments on the procedure followed in removing the ex-Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranaike.

Ranil Wickremesinghe: I said there was no fault in Parliament. The fault was with the Presidential Secretariat.

Let us take up the debate at 6.30 pm on February 5. It is impossible to take it up earlier. We have agreed to today's agenda.

Wimal Weerawansa: Let us debate on the statement of the Prime Minister. Why did the government request the Chief Justice to resign if he was not duly appointed? The government wanted the Chief Justice to resign and threatened him to do so.

Dinesh Gunawardena: I state with responsibility that Mohan Peiris did not consent to resign at anytime. Mohan Peiris was forced many times to resign.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe: At no time did I ask Mohan Peiris to resign. Actually he was the one who spoke to me.

Vasudeva Nanayakkara: The Prime Minister questioned the procedure of the House at the impeachment of former Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranaike. Therefore, this is a matter related to business of Parliament. The supremacy of Parliament has been challenged. This debate is an urgent matter.

Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa (in Chair): There should be a motion when requesting a debate. The time allocated for today's business is getting restrained.

Leader of the House and Minister Lakshman Kiriella: I present item number one on the agenda for debate.

Dinesh Gunawardena: I disagree. Ask the House.

Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa (in Chair): I suspend the House for 10 minutes to discuss this matter.

The House resumed at 4.15 pm.

Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa (in Chair):

I adjourn the House to a further date. 

All round performance by Maleesha helps Kularatne MV to a first innings win

An eight wicket haul and a half ton by Maleesha Harshajeewa helped P de S Kularathna MV Ambalangoda register a first innings win against Debarawewa National School at the Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket Stadium, Sooriyawewa on Wednesday.

Right Arm Off Spin bowler Maleesha captured eight wickets conceeding 48 runs off the 22 overs he bowled to restrict the Debarawewa first innings to 181.

Ishan Indunil (40) and Sachithra Hemanayake (46) shared an opening stand of 61 runs and together with Ishara Chathuranga (39) were the top scorers for Debarawewa NS.

In reply, Kularathna MV scored 219 runs in their first essay anchored by a useful 51 runs scored off 97 balls with six boundaries by Maleesha while Skipper Prabath de Silva and Sachin Avishka contributed with thirty five runs each. Chathura Jayanath captured three wickets.

Sachithra Hemanayaka scored his fourth century of the season off 153 balls with fourteen boundaries to help Debarawewa NS declare their second essay at 197/5. Sachithra together with Ishan Indunil (46) did better in the second innings sharing an opening stand of 84 runs. Nimana Saranga captured three wickets. Bad light put an end to the game before Kularathna MV could open their second essay.

Debarawewa: 181 in 53.2 overs (Ishan Indunil 40, Sachithra Hemanayaka 46, Ishara Chathuranga 39, Thimindu Sachintha 24

Maleesha Harshajeewa 8/48) and 197/5 dec in 56 overs (Ishan Indunil 46, Sachithra Hemanayaka 100, Nimna Saranga 3/49)

Kularatne: 219 in 85.1 overs (Prabath de Silva 35, Maleesha Harshajeewa 51, Sachin Avishka 35, Amantha Madhusanka 29

Udith Madushan 2/70, Sachithra Hemanayaka 2/67, Chathura Jayanath 3/22) 

Taylor, Butler seal berth in final

England made heavy weather of a small target on a WACA pitch of yore, making their way to the final against Australia on Sunday and keeping India winless on their tour of Australia. Once again their bowlers pulled India back after a decent start, keeping them down to 200 after they had been 0 for 83, but their batsmen let the up-and-down pitch play on their minds to be 5 for 66 at one point.

The nuggety James Taylor and the authoritative Jos Buttler, though, rescued them with a 125-run partnership that took just 23.2 overs.

India have been no stranger to collapses on this tour, but it will hurt them that today's came after Shikhar Dhawan had finally fought through a tough period and with Ajinkya Rahane looking on course to become only the second non-Australian opener to score a century at the WACA Ground. While the two batted, the pitch looked like the normal WACA one, but once the wickets began to fall, the real monsters showed up. In one over MS Dhoni was hit on the helmet and below the knee roll from similar length. Early in the chase Ian Bell fell lbw to a similar delivery, and the other England batsmen came in with an inherent mistrust of the pitch after that.

India's bowlers made it tough for England by staying accurate, but arguably England had caused the damage in the first half. Put in, India began the day all right but, after fighting it out through the tough period, Dhawan cut at Chris Woakes with no feet, and toe-ended him through to Buttler. At 1 for 83 in the 21st over, it was a decent platform for Virat Kohli to bat at No. 3 - India have been saving him should a wicket fall early - but India's middle order fell to a familiar and unusual foe.

Almost all through the Test series in the English summer, India didn't quite figure out how to play Moeen Ali.

They were caught between disdain and extreme caution, and on evidence of Friday, Moeen has the wood on them. Neither of his two next wickets - in the space of eight balls - had anything to do with the pitch.

A moment after Buttler had asked the long-off to move a touch wider, Kohli looked to either clear him or beat him to his right, but couldn't do either. This time India had Raina coming in at No. 4, and he left even before his eyes would have adjusted to the bright light in Perth. He repeated his Brisbane dismissal with a premeditated charge at Moeen, and this time he managed a thick edge as opposed to the stumping at the Gabba.

It can't be easy for Ambati Rayudu, entering in the middle of another crisis. He is asked to bat at No. 3 when India start poorly, and here he would have been relegated had India lost their third wicket after the 35th over. Rayudu couldn't handle the heat that was on, handing Stuart Broad his first wicket of the series after the bowler made a good comeback from his ordinary first spell.

Rahane meanwhile had got into a flow after the edgy start. The innings depended on him and Dhoni with England giving nothing away. You could sense a wicket around the corner, and to expedite it came the batting Powerplay. On cue Rahane opened the face when Steven Finn got the ball to hold its line. Once again Dhoni was caught at the death with no recognised batsman around him. Once the pitch got Dhoni out, the rest imploded, except for some merry hitting from Mohammed Shami and Mohit Sharma, who was playing despite not being in the World Cup squad.

The 35 the two added gave them something to bowl at, and they began well.

From the time Bell fell to the shooter, there was unease among England batsmen. Pressure built, and Moeen pulled out a Kohli-like dismissal off the bowling of Axar Patel. Joe Root drove hard to give Stuart Binny a tough return catch. Eoin Morgan and Ravi Bopara came out looking suspiciously at the pitch, and got out softly to Binny.

At 5 for 66, India looked like they could just come out with something to show for the tour, but Taylor and Buttler had other ideas. Until now it had seemed that Taylor had got stuck at one end, but in the company of Buttler he batted industriously. Around this time Ravindra Jadeja was introduced too, in the 21st over. Coming back from a shoulder injury, Jadeja didn't have quite the zing his bowling earlier had. Easy singles flowed, and with the asking rate in control the two batsmen had no problem accepting those singles.

Buttler was three when he pushed Taylor for a non-existent single. Rahane swooped in fast from cover, and threw while diving but missed the stumps. Buttler was so far that had Rahane run in with the ball it would have still been close. On such moments are games turned.

Buttler kept hitting the odd boundary off remotely loose balls without taking any risk, which gave Taylor the time to accumulate peacefully. For a situation as precarious as this, the two knocked off the remaining runs with relative ease. They hardly played an ill-advised shot, and when they did - like Taylor did against Axar in the 39th over, jumping put of the crease and then sweeping because he had been beaten in the flight - they had the rub of the green going their way. This one went for four off the bottom edge. The boundary brought the target to under 50.

England still didn't stroll through with Taylor and Buttler falling just short of the target, but that was more reminder that they are England. They eventually won with 3.1 overs to spare.

Massive destruction in Kobane after Kurds drive out ISIL

IRAQ: Rubble strewn streets, gutted buildings: the ferocious battle for the Syrian border town of Kobane has wrought massive destruction, according to a team of journalists who arrived on the scene on January 28.

Kurdish forces recaptured the town on the Turkish frontier from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) on January 26 in a symbolic blow for the jihadists who have seized swathes of territory in their brutal onslaught across Syria and Iraq. After more than four months of fighting, the streets, now patrolled by Kurdish militiamen with barely a civilian in sight, were a mass of rubble and gutted buildings, the journalists said.

Kurdish fighters armed with Kalashnikov assault rifles greeted the journalists with a hail of celebratory gunshots into the air and made the "V" for victory sign.

In one street, a mortar shell lay on the pockmarked tarmac. In another, a bright yellow car was left abandoned in the rubble, riddled with bullet holes, as a couple of men walked by to inspect the damage.

On Tuesday, Kurdish forces battled ISIL militants in villages around Kobane, warning that the fight against the jihadists was far from over.

The recapture of Kobane appeared however to be a major step in the campaign against the ISIL militants who had seemed poised to seize the town after they began their advance in September. But analysts said air strikes by the US-led coalition had been key to the YPG's success, taking out some of the jihadists' heavier weaponry and hitting their supply routes.

A minister in the regional Kobane government said Tuesday that at least half of the town had been destroyed.

The Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) had announced the "liberation" of Kobane on Monday, depriving the ISIL of a prize to add to its territory in Syria and Iraq.

"Our forces fulfilled the promise of victory," the militia said, but cautioned that fighting was not over yet.

The United States had said on Tuesday that Kurdish fighters were in control of about 90 percent of the town.

"ISIL is now, whether on order or whether they are breaking ranks, beginning to withdraw from the town," a senior State Department official told reporters. But he warned that the militants, also known as ISIL, were "adaptive and resilient" and no-one was declaring "mission accomplished" yet. Observers say ISIL lost nearly 1,200 fighters in the battle, of a total of 1,800 killed, despite outgunning YPG forces with sophisticated weaponry captured from Iraqi and Syrian military bases.

The combat also sparked a mass exodus of local residents, with some 200,000 fleeing across the border into Turkey. Thousands of Kurds flocked to the Turkish border after the ISIL defeat, but Turkish security forces on Tuesday fired tear gas and water cannon to push back people approaching the barbed wire fence.

French co-pilot was flying AirAsia jet before crash, say investigators

INDONESIA: The French first officer of an AirAsia passenger jet that crashed into the sea last month was at the controls at the time of the accident, Indonesia's National Transportation Safety Committee (NTSC) said on Thursday. Mardjono Siswosuwarno, head investigator for the NTSC, told reporters the flight data recorder recovered from the bottom of the Java Sea provided a "pretty clear picture" of what happened in the last moments of AirAsia Flight QZ8501. But he did not give details. The Airbus A320 vanished from radar screens in bad weather on December 28, less than halfway into a two-hour flight from Indonesia's second-biggest city of Surabaya to Singapore. All 162 people on board were killed.

"The second-in-command, popularly known as the co-pilot, who usually sits to the right of the cockpit. At the time, he was flying the plane," Mardjono said. "The captain, sitting to the left, was the pilot monitoring." Mardjono said the cockpit voice and flight data recorders showed that the plane had been cruising at a stable altitude before the crash. The aircraft was in sound condition when it took off, and all crew members were properly certified, he said.

"The plane was flying before the incident within the limits of weight and balance envelope," Mardjono said. "While flight crew had valid licences and medical certificates."

NTSC chief Tatang Kurniadi told the same Jakarta news conference that Indonesia had submitted its preliminary report on the crash to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) on Wednesday, as required under global aviation rules.

The report, which has not been made public, was purely factual and contained no analysis, he said, adding that the full, final report would take at least 6-7 months to complete.

Indonesia has previously said the aircraft climbed abruptly from its cruising height and then stalled, or lost lift, before plunging out of control into the Java Sea. On Wednesday Indonesia said the search for dozens of victims still unaccounted for could end within days if no more bodies were found. A multinational search and recovery operation has found 70 bodies in the Java Sea and had hoped to find more after finding the fuselage of the plane. But days of rough weather and poor underwater visibility hampered navy divers' efforts.

MH370: Malaysia declares flight disappearance an accident

MALAYSIA: The Malaysian government has officially declared the disappearance of Malaysian Airline flight MH370 an accident and says there were no survivors. No trace of the Beijing-bound aircraft has been found since it disappeared on March 8, 2014.

Officials say that the recovery operation is ongoing but that the 239 people onboard are now presumed dead. The plane's whereabouts are still unknown despite a massive international search in the southern Indian Ocean.

The declaration on Thursday should allow compensation payments to relatives of the victims. Malaysian officials said that the recovery of the missing aircraft remained a priority and that they had pursued "every credible lead". Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) Director-General Azharuddin Abdul Rahman said that it was "with the heaviest heart and deepest sorrow that we officially declare Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 an accident.''

Hostage in Sydney siege 'killed by police bullet ricochet'

AUSTRALIA: One of the hostages held during a siege at an Australian cafe last month was killed by a ricochet of at least one police bullet that also injured three other hostages, an inquest into the deaths was told on Thursday.

Jeremy Gormly, counsel assisting the New South Wales state coroner, said lawyer Katrina Dawson, 38, was hit by six fragments of a police bullet, or bullets, with one striking a major blood vessel.

"She lost consciousness quickly and died shortly afterwards," Gormly said at the opening of the inquest.

Police stormed the Lindt Chocolat Cafe in central Sydney in the early hours of December 16, ending a 17-hour siege by Man Haron Monis after the gunman shot cafe manager Tori Johnson, 34.

Johnson's execution - he was ordered to kneel and then shot without warning at close range in the back of the head - was witnessed by a police marksman, Gormly said.

Monis, 50, who fired five rounds from a sawn-off pump action shotgun, was killed instantly by several police bullets and bullet fragments to the head and body, Gormly added.

The inquest is running alongside a government inquiry into how Monis was able to access a gun and why he was granted bail while facing charges as an accessory to the murder of his ex-wife. He was also facing more than 40 sexual assault charges.

The self-styled sheik harboured deep grievances against the Australian government and had found little kinship in the city's large Muslim community, where he was seen as deeply troubled. He was found guilty in 2012 of sending threatening letters to the families of eight Australian soldiers killed in Afghanistan as a protest against Australia's involvement there. Gormly said investigators had so far not established any contact between Monis and Islamic State before the siege.

There was evidence that a psychiatric profile of Monis "will throw light" on his motivations, he said. Monis ordered and consumed a piece of chocolate cafe and tea after entering the cafe early on Dec. 15, the inquest heard.

Israel, Hezbollah on edge of wider conflict

 
LEBANON : In the most significant escalation of tensions since the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah war, cross-border missile attacks have left a United Nations peacekeeper dead in Lebanon and killed two Israeli soldiers in the country's north.

The Shiite militant group Hezbollah claimed responsibility for the anti-tank missile attack on the Israeli military convoy in the contested Shebaa Farms area along the border with Lebanon that killed the two soldiers and wounded seven others on Wednesday.

Hezbollah said the attack was carried out by the "al-Quneitra Martyr's Brigade" - a reference to the area in the Syrian Golan Heights where an Israeli air strike on January 18 killed five Hezbollah fighters and a general from Iran's Revolutionary Guard. Since that attack, those on all sides of the sensitive border area - already under pressure as fighting from the four-year-long Syrian civil war draws ever closer - have been bracing for the moment Hezbollah decided to strike back.

Spain says Israeli fire killed a Spanish UN peacekeeper serving in south Lebanon and called on the United Nations to fully investigate the violence. "It is clear that this was because of the escalation of the violence and it came from the Israeli side," Spanish UN ambassador Roman Oyarzun said.

UN Secretary-General Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called on all to exercise maximum calm and restraint. Israel told the UN Security Council on Wednesday it will take all necessary measures to defend itself after the exchange of fire between Hezbollah militants and Israel.

Israel responded immediately, launching a two-hour long barrage of shelling into Lebanon near the border villages of Majidiyeh, Abbasiyeh and Kfar Chouba, close to the Shebaa Farms area - a thin sliver of land that borders Lebanon, Syria and Israel that has been in dispute since 1967. By the time the Israeli attack was over, a Spanish peacekeeper from the United Nations Interim Forces in South Lebanon stationed at a UN position near Ghajar was dead. The cause of his death has yet to be determined and remains the subject of investigation, UNIFIL said in a statement.

UNIFIL Head of Mission and Force Commander Major-General Luciano Portolano said he was in contact with both parties to help prevent further escalation and urge restraint, condemning what he described as a "serious violation of UN Security Council resolution 1701".

The peacekeeping force, made up of around 10,000 soldiers from 36 countries, reinforced its presence in the area and intensified patrols in coordination with the Lebanese Armed Forces. "At this time the situation along the Blue Line is quiet," the UNIFIL statement read.

UN Security Council resolution 1701 marked the end of the bloody 2006 war Israel fought against Hezbollah that killed more than 1000 Lebanese, mostly civilians, and at least 160 Israelis, mostly soldiers. Since then the 80-kilometre border area has been mostly quiet. And although the hostilities that flared on Wednesday morning had subsided by nightfall, both sides warned there may be more violence to come. Israeli politicians - deep in campaign mode for their upcoming election on March 17 - called for a harsh response to the Hezbollah actions.

"The Israeli army is replying to events in the north - all those who want to attack us in the north should look to what happen in the south ... in the Gaza Strip," the Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said. "The Israel army is prepared to launch powerful actions."

He was referring to Israel's 50-day war in Gaza last July and August in which 2200 Palestinians - mostly civilians - were killed and hundreds of thousands had their homes destroyed.

The country's foreign minister, Avigdor Lieberman, urged the IDF to respond in a "harsh and disproportionate manner".

Mr Netanyahu was holding overnight consultations with senior military and political colleagues, including Defence Minister Moshe Yaalon and IDF Chief-of-Staff Lieutenant General Benny Gantz.