Beirut: The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) on Tuesday condemned the attacks on its peacekeepers and urged Lebanese authorities to ensure its forces can operate without hindrance or threat. UNIFIL emphasized in a statement that freedom of movement, as enshrined in UN Security Council Resolution 1701, is crucial to its independent and impartial mandate. The mission highlighted that any restriction, regardless of the presence of the Lebanese Armed Forces, is a violation of this resolution.
According to Kuwait News Agency, the mission reported that a patrol jointly planned with the Lebanese Army was confronted near Hallousiyeh Tahta, southern Lebanon, by civilians. These individuals blocked the vehicles, threw stones, and struck one peacekeeper; however, no injuries were recorded.
UNIFIL personnel employed non-lethal measures to secure the situation, and the Lebanese Army quickly intervened, restoring calm and allowing the patrol to proceed, the statement added.
Earlier in the day, Lebanon's National News Agency reported that youths in Hallousiyeh Tahta obstructed a UNIFIL patrol due to the absence of a Lebanese Army presence.