Two UN peacekeepers wounded in attack on convoy in southern Lebanon

Two Malaysian peacekeepers serving with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) were injured when their logistics convoy was attacked near the village of Haris in southern Lebanon. UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric confirmed the incident, stating the peacekeepers are in stable condition and that UNIFIL will investigate.

In a separate event, Dujarric reported that an Israeli military tank fired near another UN convoy close to Bint Jbeil, prompting the convoy to take an alternate route. UNIFIL peacekeepers also observed significant drone activity in the Biyyada area. The UN reiterated its call for all parties to respect the inviolability of UN personnel and assets.

India has condemned the recent attacks on UN peacekeepers, with India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Parvathaneni Harish, emphasizing that the safety and security of peacekeepers must be a top priority. He noted that peacekeepers operate in difficult conditions and that India has previously championed UN Security Council Resolution 2589, which aims to ensure accountability for crimes against peacekeepers.

These incidents follow a series of attacks on the UN mission. Earlier, three UNIFIL peacekeepers were injured in an explosion within a UNIFIL position, with two in serious condition. The origin of that explosion was not immediately established. Prior to that, two Indonesian peacekeepers were killed and another seriously injured when a projectile hit a UNIFIL position, and two more Indonesian peacekeepers were killed and two injured in a vehicle explosion. Poland has also opened an investigation into an attack on a patrol attributed to an improvised explosive device. UNIFIL, deployed since 1978, finds its positions increasingly exposed to strikes and explosions amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, complicating its movement and patrols.