United Nations Interim Force In Lebanon (UNIFIL) spokesperson Andrea Tenenti denied media reports that some residents detained a UNIFIL vehicle in the Hay al-Sellom neighborhood in the Hezbollah-controlled southern suburb of Beirut “after it lost its way.”
The vehicle does not belong to UNIFIL, Tenenti said, noting that “our cars have the UN logo written in black and not blue,” as shown in the photo that circulated in the media. “This could be a (UN) humanitarian agency vehicle,” he told This Is Beirut.
UNIFIL vehicles have lost their way more than once, ending up in the southern suburb.
In March, a similar incident occurred in Hay al-Sellom involving a car belonging to the peacekeeping force which was on a “routine logistical movement to Beirut.” The vehicle was stopped, and peacekeepers were detained by residents for a short while. UNIFIL reacted to the incident by emphasizing that “the freedom of UNIFIL’s movement is essential to the implementation of UN Resolution 1701.”
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