UN clarifies Marjayoun attacks were “near” UNIFIL peacekeepers
Following Lebanese Armed Forces reports of Israeli open-fire attacks in the southern Marjayoun district, UNIFIL said the incidents occurred “near the area” where peacekeepers were operating.
United Nations
Sphinx News: Ahmed Ali
After an Israeli open-fire attack in the Lebanese Southern District of Marjayoun, UNIFIL says Israeli attacks were “near” peacekeeping operations.
The incident occurring yesterday, where Lebanese Armed Forces had been the recipient of Israeli attacks near a new monitoring post in the Sarda area of the Marjayoun district, had sparked concern about both the illicit nature of the attacks and the potential threat it may have posed to UN peacekeepers in the area.
Elucidated today by Spokesperson for the Secretary-General, Stéphane Dujarric, he told reporters today, “the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon [UNIFIL] clarified that UN peacekeepers, who happened to be in the area performing tasks unrelated to the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) presence there.” Dujarric added, “Those peacekeepers observed a group of Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers dismounting from two vehicles and firing shots toward the Lebanese Armed Forces post. UNIFIL sent a ‘stop fire’ request to the IDF through its liaison channels. UNIFIL confirmed that its peacekeepers were not the target of the fire.”
With further granularity on the events that transpired, the UN clarifies peacekeepers were not the intended target; however, the nature of the incident raises further concerns on Israel’s continuous violation of “Security Council resolution 1701, which is essential for stability along the Blue Line.”
FURTHER DETAILS FOUND IN YESTERDAY’S STORY: https://www.sphinxtv.tv/25840
