New Israeli attack wounds UN peacekeepers in south Lebanon

Lebanon on Friday condemned an Israeli attack that it said wounded United Nations peacekeepers in the country's south, after state media reported a second such attack in as many days.

In a statement, the foreign ministry condemned "the targeting... carried out by the Israeli army" on the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon.

It said the bombing targeted "watchtowers and the main UNIFIL base in Ras Naqoura, and on the Sri Lankan battalion's base, which led to a number of wounded."

The official National News Agency said an Israeli "Merkava tank targeted one of the UNIFIL towers on the main road linking Tyre and Naqoura," wounding personnel from a Sri Lankan battalion.

It added that "enemy forces" also "fired an artillery shell, targeting the main entrance of the UNIFIL command center in Naqoura, leading to damage to the entrance."

In a statement issued later in the day, UNIFIL said its Naqoura headquarters was "affected by explosions for the second time in the last 48 hours."

"Two peacekeepers were injured after two explosions occurred close to an observation tower. One injured peacekeeper was taken to a hospital in Tyre, while the second is being treated in Naqoura," it added.

"Today, several T-walls at our U.N. position 1-31, near the Blue Line in Labbouneh, fell when an IDF (Israeli army) caterpillar hit the perimeter and IDF tanks moved in the proximity of the U.N. position. Our peacekeepers remained at the location, and a UNIFIL Quick Reaction Force was dispatched to assist and reinforce the position," UNIFIL said.

"These incidents put again U.N. peacekeepers, who are serving in south Lebanon at the request of the Security Council under resolution 1701 (2006), at very serious risks. This is a serious development, and UNFIL reiterates that the safety and security of U.N. personnel and property must be guaranteed and that the inviolability of U.N. premises must be respected at all times. Any deliberate attack on peacekeepers is a grave violation of international humanitarian law and Security Council resolution 1701 (2006)," UNIFIL warned.

On Thursday, U.N. peacekeepers said Israeli fire on their headquarters in south Lebanon wounded two Blue Helmets, sparking condemnation from European members of the mission.

Israel acknowledged its forces had opened fire in the area, saying the Hezbollah militants on whom it is waging an escalating war operate near U.N. posts.

UNIFIL, which has about 10,000 peacekeepers stationed in south Lebanon, has called for a ceasefire since an escalation between Israel and Hezbollah on September 23, after almost a year of cross-border fire.

The peacekeepers did not suffer serious injuries Thursday "but they remain in hospital," UNIFIL had said, while a spokeswoman said those wounded were from Indonesia, a major contributor of troops to the force.