It is the second fatal incident in the last 24 hours, Unifil says, after Israel expanded its operation against Hezbollah.
14 hours ago
Anna Lamche
EPA
Two Indonesian peacekeepers were killed in southern Lebanon on Monday when an "explosion of unknown origin destroyed their vehicle", the UN agency tasked with policing the region has said.
A third peacekeeper was "severely" injured in the explosion, and a fourth was hurt, the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (Unifil) said in a statement.
It is the second fatal incident in the past 24 hours, Unifil noted. A peacekeeper - who was also Indonesian - was killed on Sunday night when a projectile, also of unknown origin, exploded in Adchit Al Qusayr in southern Lebanon.
Unifil said it had launched investigations to determine what happened in both incidents.
The deaths come shortly after the Israeli military announced it would step up ground and air attacks against the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah.
Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed militia as well as a political party, has fired rockets into Israel in retaliation for the ongoing US-Israeli strikes on Iran.
In a statement on Telegram, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said the incidents were being "thoroughly reviewed in order to clarify the circumstances and determine whether they resulted from Hezbollah activity or from IDF activity."
"It should be noted these incidents occurred in an active combat area. Therefore, it should not be assumed that incidents in which UNIFIL soldiers were harmed were caused by the IDF."
Stéphane Dujarric, spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General, said the peacekeepers were "soldiers sent there on behalf of the international community... and everyone needs to ensure that they are protected and never targeted".
He urged Lebanon and Israel to use the Unifil mechanism for dialogue, saying "the bottom line is that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Lebanon needs to be respected".
Separately, the IDF said early on Tuesday that four of its soldiers had been killed in combat in southern Lebanon.
Another soldier was severely wounded and a reservist moderately wounded, the IDF said.
Reuters
Unifil said of the two deaths on Monday: "We extend our sincerest condolences to the family, friends, and colleagues of those brave peacekeepers who gave their lives in service of peace."
It said under international law, "all actors" had an obligation to ensure the "safety and security" on UN personnel.
"Deliberate attacks" on peacekeepers were "grave violations" of international humanitarian law, Unifil said.
"The human cost of this conflict is far too high. The violence, as we have said before, must end."
After the soldier was killed on Sunday, the Indonesian Defense Forces (TNI) reaffirmed its commitment to the peacekeeping mission in Lebanon, according to the government-owned news agency Antara.
"We remain committed to carrying out our duties as part of the world peacekeeping mission under the mandate of the United Nations (UN) professionally and responsibly, while prioritising the safety of our soldiers," Major General Aulia Dwi Nasrullah told Antara.
Antara named the soldier killed on Sunday as Chief Private Farizal Rhomadhon.
Unifil was created by the UN Security Council in 1978, and has since served as a buffer between Israel and Lebanon.
The peacekeeping force patrols the "Blue Line" - the de facto border between Lebanon and Israel, in collaboration with the Lebanese army.
Around 339 peacekeepers have been killed since the mission was established.
Despite a November 2024 ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, brokered after violence flared between the two over the war in Gaza, Israel has conducted near-daily strikes on Hezbollah targets.
It says the armed group has not abided by the terms of the ceasefire - under which Hezbollah was meant to disarm and leave its positions in the south - and has accused Unifil and the Lebanese army of not doing enough to remove its militants from the region.
Since the ceasefire began, 1,238 people have been killed in Lebanon, according to the Lebanese health ministry, including 124 children.
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