Beirut: Four Italian peacekeepers were injured after two rockets struck the West Sector Headquarters of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) in southern Lebanon, according to a statement by UNIFIL.
The four peacekeepers are currently receiving treatment at the base hospital, and none of the injuries are life-threatening, said the statement on Friday.
“The rockets, likely launched by Hezbollah or affiliated groups, impacted a bunker and a logistics area used by the international military police, causing significant damage to nearby infrastructure,” said the statement, noting that one of the affected structures caught fire, “but the blaze was swiftly extinguished by base personnel.”
This marked the third attack on the UNIFIL base in the village of Chamaa within just one week, according to UNIFIL, Xinhua news agency reported.
In the statement, UNIFIL reiterated its call for relevant parties to avoid fighting next to its positions, stressing, “The inviolability of UN premises and personnel must be respected at all times.”
“Any attack against peacekeepers constitutes a serious violation of international law and United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701,” it added.
UNIFIL sites and installations have previously been attacked, leading to injuries, amid the ongoing conflict between the Israeli army and Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Earlier this week, four Ghanaian peacekeepers on duty sustained injuries as a rocket hit their base in the east of the southern Lebanese village of Ramyah.
–IANS
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