Beirut, April 5 (IANS) The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) has said that it will file a formal protest after Israeli soldiers destroyed surveillance cameras installed at its headquarters in Naqoura.
UNIFIL spokesperson Candice Ardell said in a statement on Saturday (local time) that Israeli troops had, since Friday, destroyed all cameras facing the Menghi road at the mission’s general headquarters in Naqoura.
The cameras were positioned solely to monitor the UNIFIL compound’s immediate area, ensuring the security of its peacekeepers, Ardell said.
Ardell said UNIFIL had conveyed its serious concern to the Israeli army and would submit a formal protest, reports Xinhua news agency.
The incident comes amid broader regional hostilities involving the United States, Israel and Iran, as well as repeated recent incidents affecting UNIFIL positions in southern Lebanon.
Earlier on Friday, an explosion inside a United Nations position near the Adaisseh area in southern Lebanon wounded three peacekeepers, two of them seriously, said the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon.
UNIFIL spokesperson Candice Ardell said the injured peacekeepers were transported to the hospital, adding that the source of the explosion remains unknown, Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA) reported.
“It has been a difficult week for peacekeepers operating near the central sector of UNIFIL’s area of operations. We wish a full and speedy recovery to all those injured,” Ardell said, according to the NNA.
She added that UNIFIL reminds all parties of their obligations to ensure the safety and security of peacekeepers, including avoiding nearby combat activities that could put them at risk.
The incident comes after several security incidents affecting UNIFIL positions and patrols were reported in southern Lebanon in recent days amid ongoing tensions along the Blue Line.
–IANS
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