BEIRUT: UN peacekeepers in Lebanon on Friday (Oct 11) warned of “very serious risks” for their Blue Helmets after explosions wounded two mission members near the Israeli border, the second such incident in two days.
Israel and Hezbollah have been clashing in south Lebanon since last week when Israel announced “targeted” incursions into Lebanon against the Lebanese militant group, which is backed by Iran.
Friday’s incidents came after peacekeeping mission UNIFIL said its positions had been “repeatedly hit” and two Indonesian Blue Helmets were injured on Thursday, sparking a wave of international condemnation.
On Friday morning, “UNIFIL’s Naqura headquarters was affected by explosions for the second time in the last 48 hours. Two peacekeepers were injured after two explosions occurred close to an observation tower”, the peacekeeping mission said.
A UNIFIL spokeswoman said they were Sri Lankan.
In addition, several blast walls “at our UN position 1-31, near the Blue Line in Labbouneh, fell when an IDF Caterpillar hit the perimeter and IDF tanks moved in the proximity of the UN position”.
“These incidents put again UN peacekeepers, who are serving in south Lebanon at the request of the Security Council under resolution 1701 (2006), at very serious risks,” it said.
