More than 100 Lankan peacekeepers under fire in Lebanon war

More than 100 Lankan peacekeepers under fire in Lebanon war

UNIFIL in stand-off with Israel over demand for withdrawal, as two Lankan soldiers are wounded

By Dilushi Wijesinghe and Mimi Alphonsus

The United Nations Interim Force (UNIFIL) command centre in Naqoura, Southern Lebanon, which was attacked from air and ground by the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) on Friday, injuring two Sri Lankan soldiers serving at the base, is facing a standoff with Israeli authorities over a demand they should move from the border area where they are stationed.

The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) are demanding the UN Peacekeepers withdraw from the base, claiming Hezbollah cadres are firing at advancing ground forces from its surroundings. UNIFIL is refusing to vacate the base. The base was attacked twice in 48 hours.

UNIFIL spokesman Andrea Tenenti told AFP news service Israel had asked UNIFIL to withdraw from positions “five kilometres (three miles) from the ‘Blue Line’ separating both Israel and Lebanon, but the peacekeepers have refused to do so. There are 125 Sri Lankan soldiers billeted at the command centre under the UN flag as the Israeli army made incursions into Lebanon over the week. UNIFIL has some 9,500 troops from various nationalities and is tasked with monitoring a ceasefire that ended a 33-day war in 2006 between Israel and Hezbollah.

About 10,000 peacekeepers from 50 countries are stationed in Lebanon,
alongside around 800 civilian staff

Five UN Blue-Helmets have been wounded so far. One of the two injured Sri Lankan soldiers underwent surgery on his neck and is recovering.

Friday’s attack on the UNIFIL headquarters drew global condemnation on Israel. US President Joe Biden yesterday said that he is “absolutely, positively” asking the Israeli military to stop targeting UN peacekeepers. Irish President Michael Higgins, whose country’s troops are part of the mission, said the Israeli demand for the entire UNIFIL to withdraw from Lebanon was “outrageous”.

In Colombo, the Foreign Ministry praised its brave soldiers serving under the UN flag and “strongly condemned” the attack and said that “Sri Lanka upholds the obligations to ensure the safety and security of UN personnel and the inviolability of UN premises at all times.”

Hours after UN peacekeepers were targeted, an Israeli airstrike killed two Lebanese soldiers, which Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati said could be a potential war crime as Israel is escalating its war campaign in the West Asian region.

Army Media Spokesman Rasika Kumara told the Sunday Times one of the injured Sri Lankan peacekeepers is undergoing treatment at the UN base hospital itself, while the other was admitted to the Jabal Amel Hospital located about 20 km from the base for a minor surgical procedure.

“This morning the force commander and his contingent commander also visited him,” said Maj. Gen. Kumara, assuring that the wounded peacekeepers were out of danger.

“The target was not the UN base. It was a shrapnel that came from an air strike. They cannot differentiate it because air strikes, ground assaults, and artillery assaults were launched simultaneously. They suspect it is an air strike, not on the base but on the Naquora village,” Maj. Gen. Kumara said. “The peacekeepers were at a guard post in the bunker when the attack took place about 100-150 metres away.”

According to a UNIFIL statement, however, this was the second explosion to affect the UN base at Naquora in 48 hours. “Today [October 11], several T-walls at our UN position 1-31, near the Blue Line in Labbouneh, fell when an IDF caterpillar hit the perimeter and IDF tanks moved in the proximity of the UN position,” the UNIFIL statement said.

“This is a serious development, and UNFIL reiterates that the safety and security of UN personnel and property must be guaranteed and that the inviolability of UN premises must be respected at all times.”

The Sri Lankan embassy is in close contact with UNIFIL and monitoring the situation. Sri Lankan peacekeepers, including the two injured, are under the care of UNIFIL, said Ambassador Kapila Jayaweera from Lebanon.

According to Lebanon’s official National News Agency, an Israeli Merkava tank targeted one of UNIFIL’s observation towers on the main road connecting Tyre to Naqoura, in front of a Lebanese Army checkpoint, injuring the Sri Lankan contingent stationed there.

It said Israeli artillery fired a shell that struck the main entrance of the UNIFIL command centre in Naqoura, causing damage to the site.

Israel has mounted massive airstrikes across Lebanon against what it claims are Hezbollah targets since Sept. 23, killing at least 1,351 people, injuring over 3,800 others, and displacing more than 1.2 million people⍐.

Sunday Times  October 13, 2024