BEIRUT: The Lebanese military said on Wednesday that the explosion of an unknown object wounded a soldier and three civilians, after initially saying it was an Israeli strike.

`A soldier and three civilians were wounded in the Nabatieh al-Fawga area as a result of an explosion while the army was escorting residents to inspect their properties in the area, the army said in a statement.

`Following investigations and an engineering inspection, it was determined that the incident was caused by the explosion of a suspicious object,` it added.

The military had initially said the soldier and civilians were wounded by an Israeli strike on a military vehicle.

Lebanon and Israel concluded a framework agreement in June, which involves the disarmament of Hezbollah, a gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanon and the deployment of the Lebanese army to the region, starting in test areas known as `pilot zones`.-AFP