Unifil peacekeeper injured as convoy attacked in Lebanon

The United Nations peacekeeping force in Lebanon says its outgoing deputy commander has been injured after one of its convoys was “violently attacked”.

The UN Interim Force in Lebanon (Unifil) said in a statement that the convoy was taking peacekeepers to Beirut airport when it was targeted and one of its vehicles set on fire.

Protesters have been blocking the road to the airport following a decision by the Lebanese government to bar two Iranian planes from landing.

Both Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun and the country’s army condemned the attack on Unifil, and said they would work to arrest those involved.

Several videos shared online show one white UN vehicle alight, as a group of young men, carrying yellow flags, chase and beat what appear to be peacekeepers as they attempt to flee.

Separate footage shows a group of men shouting as they kick, hit and climb onto a convoy of three UN vehicles along a dark road.

Unifil’s injured deputy commander, who was not named, was returning home after ending his mission, according to a statement from the United Nations.

“We are shocked by this outrageous attack on peacekeepers who have been serving to restore security and stability to south Lebanon during a difficult time,” it added.

“Attacks on peacekeepers are flagrant violations of international law and may amount to war crimes. We demand a full and immediate investigation by Lebanese authorities and for all perpetrators to be brought to justice.”

Aoun said the attack was “unacceptable” and “cannot be allowed to be repeated”.

In a social media post from the presidency, he added: “The security forces will not be lenient with any party that tries to destabilize and undermine civil peace in the country.”

Supporters of the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah have gathered outside Beirut’s airport since Thursday over a stand-off between Lebanon and Iran that saw two Iranian planes barred from landing in the Lebanese capital.

The issue has left dozens of Lebanese nationals stranded in Iran.

The Amal movement, a group allied to Hezbollah, said “the attack on Unifil is an attack on southern Lebanon”, and described it as “a stab at civil peace”.

Lebanese Interior Minister Ahmed Al-Hajjar told state media he would convene a security meeting on Saturday in light of the attack, calling it a “crime against peacekeeping forces”.

Unifil was created to monitor a buffer zone created near the border with Israel following the end of the 2006 Lebanon war, and has posts throughout southern Lebanon.