The UN Security Council extended on Tuesday the mandate of the UN's probe into the killing of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri until 15 June 2008.

In unanimously adopting resolution 1748, the council noted the International Independent Investigation Commission's conclusion that it was unlikely that the commission would complete its work before its current mandate expires in June.

However, the council declared its readiness to terminate the mandate earlier, if the commission would report that it had completed its mandated tasks.

The council recently discussed the most recent report of the head of the commission, Belgian prosecutor Serge Brammertz, who told the 15-nation body that significant progress was being made in the investigation.

(Xinhua News Agency March 28, 2007)