Another UNIFIL patrol intercepted in south Lebanon

Young men from the Tyre district town of Siddiqin on Tuesday intercepted a UNIFIL patrol that was trying to enter the Grand Mountain area, the state-run National News Agency said.

“The situation escalated into a clash between UNIFIL troops and some young men from the town after the patrol tried to enter the town without being escorted by army troops, which prompted the intervention of the army,” NNA added.

“The patrol returned to its base after the army restored normalcy in the area,” the agency said.

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.