The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) issued a statement on Tuesday saying that its “peacekeepers and facilities were targeted in three separate incidents in South Lebanon today, with four peacekeepers injured in one of the incidents.”
“Four Ghanaian peacekeepers on duty sustained injuries as a rocket – fired most likely by non-State actors within Lebanon – hit their base ‘UNP 5-42’ in the east of the village of Ramyah. The peacekeepers sustained injuries and three of them have been transferred to a hospital in Tyre for treatment,” the statement said.
In another incident, “UNIFIL Sector West Headquarters in Chamaa was impacted by five rockets, which struck the maintenance workshop. Although it caused heavy damage to the workshop, no peacekeepers were injured. This was the second time this UNIFIL base was impacted by the ongoing clashes in the area in less than a week. A 155mm live artillery shell hit the base on 15 November,” the statement added.
Lastly, the statement noted that “while a patrol was passing through a road northeast of the village of Khirbet Selm, an armed person directly fired at the patrol. No injury is reported among the peacekeepers in this incident.” UNIFIL has launched investigations into each of these incidents. The mission has also informed the Lebanese Armed Forces about them, the statement assured.
UNIFIL once again reminded “all actors involved in the ongoing hostilities to respect the inviolability of United Nations peacekeepers and premises. The pattern of regular attacks – direct or indirect – against peacekeepers must end immediately.”
It reiterated that “any attack against the peacekeepers is a flagrant violation of international laws and resolution 1701, which forms the basis of UNIFIL’s current mandate.”
The statement emphasized that “despite these and other challenges, peacekeepers remain in all positions and will continue to impartially monitor and report on violations of resolution 1701.”
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