Two peacekeepers wounded as blast hits UN vehicle in south Lebanon

Two peacekeepers serving with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) were injured today after the vehicle they were travelling in was hit by a blast in southern Lebanon.

The explosion happened on the coastal highway at the northern entrance to the town of Saida, according to a statement issued by UNIFIL.

The peacekeepers suffered minor injuries from broken glass and were transported to a hospital in Saida where their condition is said to be stable.

Calling today’s incident “despicable,” UNIFIL’s Acting Force Commander, Brigadier General Jai Prakash Nehra, said he hoped the perpetrators will be identified and brought to justice quickly.

UNIFIL has launched an official investigation and is working in close cooperation with the Lebanese authorities.

This is not the first time the Force has come under attack since it was strengthened in 2006 in the wake of the deadly conflict between the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) and Hizbollah. In June of last year, a UNIFIL patrol in southern Lebanon was struck by a bomb, killing six Spanish peacekeepers and seriously wounding two other blue helmets. In addition, an explosion occurred near a UNIFIL vehicle in July but there were no casualties.