JERUSALEM - Israel believes that militants from outside Lebanon were behind last week’s firing of two rockets from Lebanon into the Jewish state, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said on Monday.

"We have information that this attack was carried out by international terror groups that are not directly affiliated to the terror organisations inside Lebanon," a senior Israeli official quoted Olmert as telling parliament’s foreign affairs and defence committee. The official said that the groups were believed to be linked to Al-Qaeda.

Israeli police said last Tuesday that two rockets fired from Lebanon hit a community in northern Israel causing no casualties a day before US President George W. Bush started a landmark visit to the region.

The Lebanese army denied any rockets had been fired. The Hezbollah militia — with which Israel fought a 34-day war in July-August 2006 — also denied any involvement in the incident.

"The firing of the rockets is disturbing. We are examining the implications and the appropriate response to the issue, but this is not necessarily tied to the internal reality in Lebanon," Olmert said. "We do not think that this type of incident will become a regular occurrence.  -AFP