On Tuesday, several Austrian soldiers serving with the UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon (UNIFIL) were lightly injured in a rocket attack in the Nakoura area, near the border with Israel, Austrian authorities said, quoting AFP.
The Austrian Ministry of Defence reported that the injuries were minor and did not require emergency medical care. At the same time, it is not yet known who was behind the attack, but the incident was strongly condemned.
“Defence Secretary Claudia Tanner has called for a speedy investigation into the incident. ‘It is unacceptable that troops on a UN peacekeeping mission should be put at risk, intentionally or unintentionally,’ she said in a statement.”
In a separate statement, UNIFIL reported that a rocket, possibly fired from Hezbollah or its allies, hit the mission’s headquarters in Naqoura, injuring several peacekeepers and damaging a maintenance shop.
“This afternoon, a rocket struck UNIFIL headquarters in Naqoura, causing a fire in the vehicle repair shop,” the statement said. “The rocket was fired from a position north of the headquarters, allegedly by Hezbollah or its affiliates,” UNIFIL added, noting that an investigation into the incident has already been launched.
UNIFIL, established by the UN Security Council in March 1978, is deployed in southern Lebanon to provide security along the border with Israel. Currently, this mission, which has more than 9,500 troops, is under constant threat due to the escalating conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.
In recent weeks, UNIFIL has repeatedly accused the Israeli military of “systematic and deliberate” shelling of its positions. At the end of October, at least five military peacekeepers were injured in other attacks, which were strongly condemned by the UN and the EU.
