JAKARTA, March 30 — A United Nations peacekeeper was killed and another critically injured when a projectile exploded at a UNIFIL position near the southern Lebanese village of Adchit al-Qusayr yesterday, the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon said in a statement today.
Indonesia’s foreign ministry confirmed that the deceased peacekeeper was one of its citizens, while three others were injured by indirect artillery fire near the Indonesian UNIFIL contingent’s position.
“We do not know the origin of the projectile. We have launched an investigation to determine all of the circumstances,” UNIFIL said.
Stationed in southern Lebanon to monitor hostilities along the demarcation line with Israel, UNIFIL has occasionally come under fire from both Israeli forces and Iran-backed Hezbollah fighters in recent years.
On March 6, Ghana’s armed forces reported that missile strikes hit the headquarters of its UN battalion in Lebanon, critically injuring two soldiers. Israel later acknowledged that its tank fire had struck a UN position, wounding the Ghanaian peacekeepers, after responding to anti-tank missile fire from Hezbollah.
“Once again, we call on all actors to uphold their obligations under international law and to ensure the safety and security of UN personnel and property at all times, including by refraining from actions that may put peacekeepers in danger,” UNIFIL said.
Indonesia condemned the incident, calling any harm to peacekeepers unacceptable, and reiterated its condemnation of Israel’s attacks in southern Lebanon.
Lebanon became entangled in the Middle East conflict when Hezbollah fired rockets at Israel on 2 March in solidarity with Tehran, two days after Israel and the United States attacked Iran. Hezbollah’s action prompted a renewed Israeli offensive against the group.
