XPost: sci.military.naval, soc.history.war.misc, alt.law-enforcement
XPost: or.politics, seattle.politics
the key
"Supporters of the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah"
and "Attacks on peacekeepers are flagrant violations of
international law and may amount to war crimes."
from
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/czdl6d0r2g5o
Senior UN peacekeeper injured in convoy attack in Lebanon
6 hours ago
Share
Save
Emily Atkinson
BBC News
Getty Images Smoke billows from the burnt remains of a Unifil
vehicleGetty Images
The UN Interim Force in Lebanon (Unifil) said one of its vehicles was
torched, wounding its outgoing deputy commander
The United Nations peacekeeping force in Lebanon says its outgoing
deputy commander has been injured after one of its convoys was
"violently attacked".
The UN Interim Force in Lebanon (Unifil) said in a statement that the
convoy was taking peacekeepers to Beirut airport when it was targeted
and one of its vehicles set on fire.
Protesters have been blocking the road to the airport following a
decision by the Lebanese government to bar two Iranian planes from landing.
Both Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun and the country's army condemned
the attack on Unifil, and said they would work to arrest those involved.
Several videos shared online show one white UN vehicle alight, as a
group of young men, carrying yellow flags, chase and beat what appear to
be peacekeepers as they attempt to flee.
Separate footage shows a group of men shouting as they kick, hit and
climb onto a convoy of three UN vehicles along a dark road.
Unifil's injured deputy commander, who was not named, was returning home
after ending his mission, according to a statement from the United Nations.
"We are shocked by this outrageous attack on peacekeepers who have been
serving to restore security and stability to south Lebanon during a
difficult time," it added.
"Attacks on peacekeepers are flagrant violations of international law
and may amount to war crimes. We demand a full and immediate
investigation by Lebanese authorities and for all perpetrators to be
brought to justice."
Aoun said the attack was "unacceptable" and "cannot be allowed to be
repeated".
In a social media post from the presidency, he added: "The security
forces will not be lenient with any party that tries to destabilize and undermine civil peace in the country."
Supporters of the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah have gathered outside
Beirut's airport since Thursday over a stand-off between Lebanon and
Iran that saw two Iranian planes barred from landing in the Lebanese
capital.
It has left dozens of Lebanese nationals stranded in Iran.
The measure was put in place after the Israel Defense Forces (IDF)
claimed that Iran's Quds Force had been "exploiting" international
flights to "smuggle" funds to arm Hezbollah.
The IDF's Arabic spokesman Avichay Adraee said it was in contact with
the committee monitoring the Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire, but alleged:
"Despite the efforts made, we estimate that some of these money
smuggling attempts have succeeded."
The Amal movement, a group allied to Hezbollah, said "the attack on
Unifil is an attack on southern Lebanon", and described it as "a stab at
civil peace".
Lebanese Interior Minister Ahmed Al-Hajjar told state media he would
convene a security meeting on Saturday in light of the attack, calling
it a "crime against peacekeeping forces".
Unifil was created to monitor a buffer zone created near the border with
Israel following the end of the 2006 Lebanon war, and has posts
throughout southern Lebanon.
Four Italian UN peacekeepers injured by rocket fire in Lebanon
Four UN peacekeepers injured by rocket fire in Lebanon
Lebanon
UN peacekeeping
--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)