New York, 28 October (AKI) - United Nations peacekeepers have launched an investigation into a recent incident in which a rocket was fired from Houla in southern Lebanon and struck the area of Kiryat Shmona in northern Israel, the UN said on Wednesday.

The rocket was fired at around 6:50 p.m. local time on Monday, according to the UN peacekeeping force inLebanon (UNIFIL).

It added that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) retaliated with artillery fire aimed at the area from where the rocket originated.

UNIFIL said it had no reports of casualties on either side. It said it is urging both sides to exercise maximum restraint, uphold the ceasefire and avoid taking steps which would lead to any further escalation of hostilities.

In coordination with the Lebanese army, UNIFIL has deployed additional troops and a reaction force in the area.

UN said it and and Lebanese forces are also in the process of investigating a number of similar incidents that have occurred recently.

The Lebanese army was reported on Wednesday to have dismantled four rockets after they were found by the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon and the army in the village of Houla on Tuesday. One was reportedly positioned on the balcony of a house head of the municipality, Faysal Hijazi.

A joint Lebanese army-UNIFIL force cordoned off the area and conducted patrols on the Lebanese side of the border.

UN Resolution 1701 forged a ceasefire between Israel and guerillas from militant Lebanese Shia group Hezbollah, which ended the devastating July 2006 Lebanon war.