Beirut, MINA – Two more United Nations peacekeepers have been killed in southern Lebanon, the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) has said, in the latest deadly incident involving UN forces since Israel expanded its ground invasion of the country, according to Al Jazeera.
In a statement shared on social media, UNIFIL said two peacekeepers were killed on Monday “when an explosion of unknown origin destroyed their vehicle” near the southern Lebanese village of Bani Hayyan.
The UN force said a third peacekeeper was severely injured while a fourth was also wounded in the incident. “We reiterate that no one should ever have to die serving the cause of peace,” UNIFIL said.
The announcement came hours after UNIFIL said one of its peacekeepers was killed in a separate incident “when a projectile exploded in a UNIFIL position” on Sunday near the southern Lebanese village of Aadshit al-Qusayr. The force said that the exact “origin of the projectile” was not immediately clear, but that an investigation had been launched into the incident.
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Indonesia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs later confirmed that the slain peacekeeper was one of its citizens. It said three other Indonesian peacekeepers with UNIFIL were also wounded in the attack, which it described as “indirect artillery fire.”
“Indonesia strongly condemns the incident and calls for a thorough and transparent investigation,” the ministry said in a statement. “Indonesia reiterates its condemnation of Israel’s attacks in southern Lebanon and calls on all parties to respect Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, cease attacks against civilian populations and infrastructure, and return to dialogue and diplomacy to prevent further escalation and advance peace.”
The deadly incidents come as Israel has expanded its ground invasion of Lebanon, pushing deeper into the south of the country as part of a campaign that it says aims to secure northern Israel against Hezbollah air attacks.
Israel launched intensified strikes against its northern neighbor in early March after Hezbollah fired into northern Israel in response to the US-Israeli war on Iran, which began on February 28.
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More than 1,200 people have been killed in Israel’s continuing attacks across Lebanon, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry, while more than 1.2 million people have been forced out of their homes across the country.[]
Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)
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