Key Points:
- UNIFIL reports explosion and projectile incidents; investigation underway
- Indonesia cites “indirect artillery fire” in one case
- Israel says incidents being reviewed amid ongoing operations
ISLAMABAD: Three United Nations peacekeepers from Indonesia have been killed in southern Lebanon in two separate incidents after Israeli strikes and ground operations intensified in the border region, according to the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) and Reuters reporting.
Two peacekeepers were killed on Monday after an explosion from an unknown origin destroyed their vehicle near Bani Hayyan in southern Lebanon. Two other personnel were injured in the blast, UNIFIL said.
In a separate incident, at midnight between Sunday and Monday, another Indonesian peacekeeper was killed when a projectile exploded near a UN position close to the village of Adchit al-Qusayr. One additional peacekeeper was critically injured.
UNIFIL said both incidents are being investigated and described them as separate events.
Indonesia’s foreign ministry said the peacekeeper killed in the earlier incident was among its nationals and stated that three others were injured by “indirect artillery fire,” according to Reuters.
The incidents occurred amid intensified Israeli military operations in southern Lebanon, where strikes have also hit civilian infrastructure and border areas during escalating hostilities with Hezbollah.
Israel’s military said it was aware of the reports and was reviewing the incidents to determine whether they resulted from Hezbollah or Israeli activity, according to Reuters.
UN officials condemned the killings, saying peacekeepers must never be targeted and calling for investigations into the incidents.
UN peacekeeping officials said attacks on UN personnel may constitute violations of international humanitarian law.
The escalation follows days of intensified fighting in southern Lebanon, including strikes on multiple towns and Beirut’s southern suburbs, as the Israel-Hezbollah conflict continues to widen.
According to Lebanese authorities cited by Reuters, more than 1,240 people have been killed in Israeli strikes on Lebanon since the escalation, including civilians, medics, and journalists.
UNIFIL, deployed along the Blue Line to monitor hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, has repeatedly warned that its positions have come under fire during the conflict.
