Drone strike hits UNIFIL convoy and soldiers in Lebanon, injuries reported

It reminded all actors of their obligation to avoid actions that put peacekeepers or civilians in danger.

07 Nov 2024 11:53pm
A rescuer and a member of the Malaysian battalion of UNIFIL treating the wound of a fellow soldier, after he was injured at the site of an Israeli airstrike at the northern entrance of the southern Lebanese city of Sidon, on Nov 7, 2024. - (Photo by MAHMOUD ZAYYAT / AFP)
A rescuer and a member of the Malaysian battalion of UNIFIL treating the wound of a fellow soldier, after he was injured at the site of an Israeli airstrike at the northern entrance of the southern Lebanese city of Sidon, on Nov 7, 2024. - (Photo by MAHMOUD ZAYYAT / AFP)

KUALA LUMPUR - Five peacekeepers and three Lebanese soldiers were injured when a United Nations peacekeeping convoy transporting newly arrived personnel was struck by a drone strike while passing through the southern Lebanese city of Saida on Thursday.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said the five injured peacekeepers, whose wounds were described as minor, received treatment from the Lebanese Red Cross at the scene.

"They will continue to their posts," the statement read.

The statement added that the Lebanese Army confirmed that three of its soldiers stationed at a nearby checkpoint were also injured in the incident.

"We remind all actors of their obligation to avoid actions that put peacekeepers or civilians in danger. Differences should be resolved at the negotiating table, not through violence," the statement read.

Meanwhile, Bernama reported that Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin confirmed that the Malaysian Battalion 850-12 (Malbatt 850-12) team in Lebanon was struck by explosive fragments, with several personnel feared injured. - BERNAMA