Three United Nations military observers and a Lebanese interpreter were wounded Saturday while patrolling the southern Lebanese border after a shell exploded near them, the U.N. peacekeeping mission in Lebanon said.
Quick Read
- UN Observers Wounded: Three United Nations military observers and a Lebanese interpreter were injured during a patrol along the southern Lebanese border when a shell exploded near them.
- UNIFIL Involvement: The wounded observers are part of the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization, working with the UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon, known as UNIFIL.
- Escalating Clashes: The incident occurs amid intensifying confrontations between the Israeli military and Hezbollah militants, raising fears of a broader conflict.
- Reports of Drone Strike: Lebanese media, citing security sources, reported that an Israeli drone strike in the village of Wadi Katmoun targeted the UN observers, causing the injuries.
- Nationalities of Injured: The injured personnel include officers from Australia, Chile, and Norway, along with a Lebanese interpreter, as per Hezbollah’s Al-Manar TV.
- Israeli Military Denial: The Israeli military denied involvement in the incident, stating on social media that they did not strike a UNIFIL vehicle.
- UNIFIL’s Response: UNIFIL is investigating the explosion’s cause and has emphasized that targeting peacekeepers is unacceptable.
- Lebanese Government Reaction: Lebanon’s caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati condemned the attack, expressing concern over the safety of UN personnel.
- UNIFIL’s Role: Established to oversee Israeli troop withdrawal in 1978, UNIFIL’s mission expanded post-2006 to assist the Lebanese military in extending its authority in the south.
The Associated Press has the story:
3 UN military observers & a Lebanese interpreter wounded in S. border blast
Newslooks- BEIRUT (AP) —
Three United Nations military observers and a Lebanese interpreter were wounded Saturday while patrolling the southern Lebanese border after a shell exploded near them, the U.N. peacekeeping mission in Lebanon said.
The military observers are part of the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization, which supports the U.N. peacekeeping mission in southern Lebanon, UNIFIL.
The blast came as clashes between the Israeli military and Hezbollah militants escalated in recent weeks. Both sides have been exchanging fire since the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza broke out, propelling concerns that the near-daily clashes along the border could escalate into a full-scale war.
Local Lebanese media, citing security officials, said an Israeli drone strike targeted the observers in the southern village of Wadi Katmoun near the border town of Rmeich. Hezbollah-run television station Al-Manar said the drone strike wounded three officers from Australia, Chile, and Norway, as well as a Lebanese interpreter.
The Israeli military on social media platform X, formerly Twitter, said: “Contrary to the reports, the IDF did not strike a @UNIFIL —vehicle in the area of Rmeish this morning.”
UNIFIL spokesperson Andrea Tenenti said they are “investigating the origin of the explosion.”
“The targeting of peacekeepers is unacceptable,” Tenenti told The Associated Press. “We repeat our call for all actors to cease the current heavy exchanges of fire before more people are unnecessarily hurt.”
Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikat condemned the incident in a statement.
UNIFIL was created to oversee the withdrawal of Israeli troops from southern Lebanon after Israel’s 1978 invasion. The U.N. expanded its mission following the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah, allowing peacekeepers to deploy along the Israeli border to help the Lebanese military extend its authority into the country’s south for the first time in decades.
