Beirut: An Israeli airstrike hit a United Nations post in southern Lebanon late Tuesday, killing at least two of the agency's observers, according to the UN Interim Force in Lebanon.
The UN initially reported that four peacekeepers were dead, but later said there were two dead and two missing, probably buried dead under the rubble.
Since the July 12, at least 392 people, mostly civilians, have been killed. Over 1,300 people have been wounded in Lebanon.
At least 41 Israelis, including 19 civilians, died and nearly 400 wounded.
UN chief Kofi Annan said Israel appeared to have struck the site deliberately.
Israel's UN Ambassador Dan Gillerman expressed his ''deep regret'' for the deaths and denied Isarel hit the post intentionally.
''I am shocked and deeply distressed by the hasty statement of the secretary-general, insinuating that Israel has deliberately targeted the UN post,'' he said, calling the assertions ''premature and erroneous.''
The bomb made a direct hit on the building and shelter of the observer post in the town of Khiyam near the eastern end of the border with Israel, said Milos Struger, spokesman for the UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon known as UNIFIL.
Rescue workers were trying to clear the rubble, but Israeli firing ''continued even during the rescue operation,'' Struger said.
Annan said two UN military observers were killed with two more feared dead. The victims included observers from Austria, a Canada, China and Finland, UN and Lebanese military officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to release the information to the media.
The body of Chinese UN observer Du Zhaoyu was recovered and identified, China's official Xinhua News Agency reported Wednesday, citing unnamed sources within UNIFIL.
It was not immediately known which of the others was confirmed dead.
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As reports of the attack emerged, Annan rushed out of a hotel in Rome following a dinner with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Saniora.
''I am shocked and deeply distressed by the apparently deliberate targeting by Israeli Defence Forces of a UN Observer post in southern Lebanon,'' Annan said in a statement later.
Annan said in his statement that the post had been there for a long time and was marked clearly, and was hit despite assurances from Prime Minister Ehud Olmert that UN positions would not be attacked.
''I call on the government of Israel to conduct a full investigation into this very disturbing incident and demand that any further attack on UN positions and personnel must stop,'' Annan said in the statement.
Gillerman said ''Israel is carrying out a thorough inquiry into this tragic incident and will inform the UN of its results as soon as possible.''
In the meantime, the envoy assured that ''Israel remains committed to protecting the safety and security of UN personnel on the ground and is doing its utmost to guarantee that they be able to carry out their mission.''
The UN Security Council was expected to receive a briefing on the bombing on Wednesday.
US Ambassador John Bolton said the Security Council was informed that four officers were killed, but he had no other information.
''We're obviously very sorry about that. We're attempting to get information where we can to confirm the nature of the incident,'' Bolton said.
Since Israel launched a massive military offensive against Lebanon and Hezbollah guerrillas July 12, a Nigerian civilian employee working with UNIFIL and his wife, also a Nigerian, have been killed in the crossfire between Israeli forces and Hezbollah guerrillas in the southern port city of Tyre.
Five UNIFIL soldiers and one military observer have also been wounded, Struger said.
(With inputs from AP)
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