BEIRUT, Sept. 16 -- Two Israeli jet planes violated Lebanese air space on Sunday, the Lebanese Army said in a statement.

       The two planes breached the air space over the southern regions of the country at about 10 a.m. (0700 GMT), covering areas like Kafr Kalla, Shakka, and Hermil, before leaving at about 11:30 a.m.(0830 GMT), the army said.

       The Israeli aggression is a flagrant violation of the UN Security Council's Resolution 1701, the statement added. Israel continued to carry out flights over Lebanese territory despite the UN-brokered ceasefire on August 14, 2006, which halted a 34-day war between Israel and Hezbollah.

       Resolution 1701 called for the disarming of all militias in Lebanon, the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the south of the country, and the deployment of a beefed-up UN peacekeeping force.

       Israel has repeatedly said that the Jewish state would continue its controversial flights over Lebanon, saying they were needed to stem alleged arms smuggling to Hezbollah.