United Nations, April 2 (IANS) The UN Security Council decried incidents that killed three Indonesian peacekeepers from the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).
In a press statement, Security Council members on Wednesday reaffirmed their full support for UNIFIL and urged all parties to ensure the safety and security of its personnel and premises, as well as the mission’s freedom of movement, in accordance with international law. They also called on parties to refrain from actions that could endanger peacekeepers.
Recalling that peacekeepers must never be targeted, they called on the United Nations to investigate the incidents through UNIFIL and keep the relevant troop-contributing country informed of progress, consistent with the objectives of Security Council resolutions 2518 (2020) and 2589 (2021).
They also called on parties to fully implement Security Council resolution 1701 (2006) and reiterated their strong commitment to Lebanon’s sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity and unity, Xinhua news agency reported.
Five other peacekeepers were injured on Sunday and Monday. In recent weeks, several other incidents have affected UNIFIL positions and injured peacekeepers against the backdrop of ongoing hostilities along the Blue Line, according to the statement.
Earlier on March 31, Spain’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation Jose Manuel Albares had “unequivocally” condemned the killing of three Indonesian peacekeepers serving with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), expressing outrage at the attacks and demanded an investigation in an interview with Radio Euskadi.
The three Indonesian troops, who were part of a Spanish-led UNIFIL contingent, were killed in two separate incidents in southern Lebanon following explosions caused by projectiles of unknown origin. The incidents occurred in an area where Israeli forces were operating.
Spain is one of the troop-contributing countries to UNIFIL, with around 600 to 700 personnel deployed in Lebanon, and leads UNIFIL’s eastern sector.
–IANS
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