VIENNA (Reuters) – Eight Austrian troopers belonging to the U.N. peacekeeping power in Lebanon (UNIFIL) sustained superficial accidents in a rocket strike on Camp Naqoura close to Israel, Austria’s Defence Ministry mentioned on Tuesday.
UNIFIL is stationed in southern Lebanon to observe hostilities alongside the demarcation line with Israel, an space that has seen fierce clashes this month between Israeli troops and Iran-backed Hezbollah fighters.
“We condemn this attack in the strongest possible terms and demand that it be investigated immediately,” the ministry mentioned in an announcement, including that it was not clear the place the assault got here from and not one of the troopers wanted pressing medical care.
Austria contributes about 180 troopers to the ten,000-strong power. They’re a part of a “Multi Role Logistic Unit” that performs roles like transporting items and personnel, repairing autos, supplying gasoline and firefighting.
UNIFIL mentioned earlier this month it had come below a number of “deliberate” assaults by Israeli forces and efforts to assist civilians in villages within the conflict zone had been being hampered by Israeli shelling.
Israel says U.N. forces present a human defend for Hezbollah and has advised UNIFIL to evacuate peacekeepers from southern Lebanon for their very own security – a request that it has refused.
5 peacekeepers had already been injured for the reason that begin of Israeli floor operation in Lebanon on Oct. 1. UNIFIL positions have been affected at the least 20 instances, together with by direct fireplace and an incident on Oct. 13 when two Israeli tanks burst via the gates of a UNIFIL base, in keeping with the U.N.
Israel has ramped up its air strikes throughout Lebanon over the past month, saying it’s focusing on Hezbollah. Lebanese officers, rights teams and residents of affected cities say the strikes are indiscriminate.
