Unifil’s deputy commander was injured when the convoy he was traveling was attacked by protesters who torched UN vehicles.
The retired deputy commander of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) was injured when protesters stopped the fleet and torched the vehicle he was traveling to Beirut airport.
Major General Chok Bahadur Dakar was on his way out for Nepal on Friday night after the Unifil convoy, which had taken peacekeepers to Beirut airport, was attacked by protesters. The Lebanese forces intervened, but not before the peacekeepers were injured.
In a statement, Unifil said that attacks on peacekeeping forces were “prominent” violations of international law and “equivalent to a war crime.”
“We are shocked by this outrageous attack on peacekeeping forces that are helping to restore security and stability to South Lebanon during difficult times,” Unifil said.
The protesters said they are allegedly supporters of Hezbollah, following an Israeli military allegation by the Iranian army to stop Iranian planes from landing in the capital Beirut, on Friday. On the second day, the only road to the airport in the country was blocked. Use private flights to smuggle funds to Hezbollah.
The decision argued that the Lebanese government forced pressure from Israel.
The Lebanese Army said in a statement that deputy Commander Hassan Ode had contacted Unifil and pledged to “work to arrest the citizens who will attack their members and bring them to trial.”
The NNA of the Lebanese state news agency reported that Home Minister Ahmad al-Hajar had called for an emergency meeting by noon on Saturday to discuss security situations and call for the attack to be described as “crime against Unifil forces.” .
He also gave instructions to work on identifying the perpetrator and referring him to relevant judicial authorities.
The United States also condemned the attack, which said it “caused multiple injuries to the UN peacekeeping forces.” A statement from the State Department said the attack was reported as “reported by a group of Hezbollah supporters.”
“We praise the Lebanese military for its prompt response to prevent further violence and praise the Lebanese government’s commitment to taking all necessary steps to ensure that individuals are held accountable for their actions,” he said. I did.
Hezbollah appears to be trying to distance himself from the attack in a statement shared on social media by denounceing the “unruly element” of “since disruption with suspicious targets on Beirut airport roads.” It looked like that.
The Amal Movement, a political party of Speaker Navi Beli, Hazbollah’s ally, said “the attack on Unifil is an attack on South Lebanon,” urging the army and security forces to pursue the assailants.
The Unifil was created to oversee the withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon after Israel’s invasion in 1978.
The United Nations expanded its mission following the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah, with peacekeeping forces deploying along the Israeli border, and Lebanese forces expanding its powers south for the first time in decades I’ve been allowed to help.
Hezbollah and Israel both regularly accused Unifil of conspiring, and peacekeepers had previously been attacked by Israeli forces. During the recent Israeli war in Lebanon, Israel demanded that Unifil leave its position in the south of the country, Israeli tanks trained peacekeepers with guns, destroyed gates at Unifil bases, and the Unifil’s I fired at Misanya.
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