Lebanese President Joseph Aoun pledged on Saturday to hold accountable those responsible for an attack on a United Nations peacekeeping convoy that left the mission’s outgoing deputy commander wounded.
In a statement posted on X, Aoun “condemned the attack” and stressed that the perpetrators “will be punished,” adding that security forces “will not be lenient with any party attempting to destabilize the country or threaten civil peace.”
The UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) confirmed that one of its convoys, transporting peacekeepers to Beirut airport, came under a “violent attack” on Friday, during which one of its vehicles was set ablaze. The mission has called for a “full and immediate” investigation by Lebanese authorities.
Both Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and the Lebanese army denounced the assault and pledged to bring those responsible to justice.
Footage circulating online shows a white UN vehicle engulfed in flames as a group of young men, some carrying yellow flags, chase and assault what appear to be peacekeepers. Other videos depict men shouting, kicking, and climbing onto a convoy of three UN vehicles on a dark road.
UNIFIL stated that its injured deputy commander, whose name was not disclosed, was en route home after completing his mission. “We are appalled by this attack on peacekeepers who have been working to maintain security and stability in southern Lebanon during a challenging period,” the statement read. The mission warned that “attacks on peacekeepers are grave violations of international law and could constitute war crimes.”
The incident comes amid rising tensions following a dispute between Lebanon and Iran, which led to two Iranian planes being barred from landing in Beirut, leaving dozens of Lebanese nationals stranded in Iran. Since Thursday, supporters of the Hezbollah-aligned Amal movement have staged protests at Beirut’s airport over the issue.
Amal condemned the attack on UNIFIL, calling it “a blow to civil peace” and “an attack on southern Lebanon itself.”
Lebanese Interior Minister Ahmed Al-Hajjar announced plans to convene a security meeting in response to what he described as a “crime against peacekeeping forces.”
Established in 2006 to monitor a buffer zone near the Israeli border following the Lebanon-Israel war, UNIFIL maintains multiple positions throughout southern Lebanon.
