BEIRUT, May 21 (Xinhua) -- Lebanon has filed an official complaint to the United Nations against the Israeli-linked spy networks and requested the help of UN Interim Forces in Lebanon (UNIFIL) to extradite fugitives who fled into Israel, local Naharnet website reported Thursday.

    The Lebanese Foreign Ministry filed the complaint to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon after Lebanese security forces arrested a number of suspected spies who confessed to working for the Israeli secret service Mossad, said the report.

    Police Chief Asraf Rifi said Wednesday night in an interview that Lebanon has asked UNIFIL to contact Israel to help extradite three Lebanese citizens allegedly linked to the networks, who have fled to Israel crossing through the southern borders.

    The reason behind those working for Israel as spies is mostly "physiological and financial," and those people belong to different Lebanese sects, Rifi was quoted as saying.

    UNIFIL controls the southern part of Lebanon in cooperation with the Lebanese army in comply with UN resolution 1701 which ended the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah. UNIFIL's main task is to prevent hostile activities between the two sides.