Army intervenes after clash between UNIFIL patrol, Yater residents

A clash erupted Wednesday between an armored UNIFIL patrol and residents of the southern town of Yater, in the Bint Jbeil district, after the patrol entered one of the town’s neighborhoods, the state-run National News Agency reported.

The UNIFIL peacekeepers pointed their weapons at residents during the incident, after which a Lebanese Army force arrived on the scene to resolve the standoff, NNA added.

However, UNIFIL spokesperson Andrea Tenenti clarified that "contrary to some media claims, the peacekeepers did not raise their weapons."

"A group of men in civilian clothes stopped peacekeepers while they were on a planned patrol, coordinated with the Lebanese army," Tenenti's statement said. "The situation was calm, and the peacekeepers were able to proceed after about thirty minutes."

Tenenti reiterated that UNIFIL operates in southern Lebanon at the request of the Lebanese government and under a mandate from the UN Security Council, adding that "any interference in peacekeepers' duties is unacceptable and contradicts Lebanon's commitments under U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701."

Such incidents have increased in recent weeks, with residents insisting that any UNIFIL patrol should be accompanied by Lebanese Army troops.

UNIFIL had recently called on Lebanon to "ensure that UNIFIL peacekeepers can carry out their mandated tasks without threats or obstruction."

Hezbollah supporters in Lebanon frequently accuse the U.N. mission -- which was created to oversee the withdrawal of Israeli troops from southern Lebanon after Israel’s 1978 invasion -- of collusion with Israel. Israel meanwhile accuses the peacekeepers of turning a blind eye to alleged Hezbollah military activities in southern Lebanon.