At least one rocket was fired from southern Lebanon into Israel overnight, prompting a retaliatory strike by the Jewish state, Lebanese army and UN officials said Tuesday.

An army spokesman told AFP that at least one rocket was fired from the border region of Rumaysh but it was unclear who was behind the attack.

Another officer said two wooden platforms from which rockets can be fired were discovered along with electrical equipment in a valley between Rumaysh and the nearby village of Ayta al-Shaab.

The UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) confirmed the attack and urged maximum restraint to prevent an escalation.

"UNIFIL radars detected firing of at least one rocket into Israel shortly after midnight last night from the general area of Rumaysh in south Lebanon," it said in a statement.

UNIFIL commander Major-General Alberto Asarta Cuevas said the attack was clearly aimed at undermining stability in the area.

"It is imperative to identify and apprehend the perpetrators of this attack and we will spare no efforts to this end working in cooperation with the Lebanese army," he said.

"Additional troops have been deployed on the ground and patrols have been intensified across our area of operations to prevent any further incidents."

The Israeli army said earlier that several rockets fired from southern Lebanon had landed in its territory and warned the Lebanese government against any further such attacks.

Southern Lebanon is largely controlled by the powerful Shiite militant party Hezbollah, which fought a devastating war with Israel in 2006 that left much of the region in ruins.

A Hezbollah official contacted by AFP said the party had no immediate comment on Tuesday's incident.

Residents of Ayta al-Shaab said they heard rockets being fired from a nearby valley overnight and scrambled for cover.

"We heard four rockets being fired and then Israel retaliated with seven rockets," one resident said.

There were no reports of casualties on either side.

"The explosions brought us back to 2006 when the entire village was destroyed during the war with Israel," said Abu Ali Tehineh, 60, another resident of Ayta al-Shaab.

The 2006 war erupted after Hezbollah launched a cross-border attack from Ayta al-Shaab on an Israeli border patrol and captured two soldiers.