Lebanon said three UN peacekeepers were killed and wounded as a result of Israeli strikes

Sidon (Lebanon) (AFP) – An Israeli strike on a vehicle near a checkpoint in the southern city of Sidon on Thursday killed three people and wounded U.N. troops and peacekeepers, the Lebanese army said.

Released: 07/11/2024 – 15:38

1 min.

“The Israeli enemy targeted the vehicle as it passed through the Awali checkpoint,” the main northern entrance to Sidon, the army said.

With the exception of a few limited strikes, Sidon, a majority Sunni Muslim city, has been relatively spared deadly air raids on southern Lebanon in Israel’s war against Iran-backed Hezbollah.

The impact killed three people, all of whom were passengers in the targeted vehicle, according to the Army.

Three Lebanese soldiers manning the checkpoint were also wounded, along with members of the Malaysian UNIFIL contingent, the army said.

UNIFIL peacekeeping forces said that “a convoy carrying newly arrived peacekeepers to southern Lebanon was passing Sidon when a drone strike occurred nearby.”

“Five peacekeepers were slightly injured and were treated on site by the Lebanese Red Cross. They will remain at their posts,” the statement said, calling on the warring parties to “avoid actions that endanger peacekeepers or civilians.”

UNIFIL has thousands of peacekeepers

Lebanon’s official National News Agency reported that a UNIFIL vehicle was in the “same lane” at the time of the strike, resulting in “minor injuries” to UN peacekeepers.

An AFP correspondent in the area saw the charred, mangled remains of a car just meters from an army checkpoint.

According to the correspondent, the UNIFIL convoy consisted of several buses.

In recent weeks, Israeli raids have intensified in Haret Side, a densely populated Sidon suburb where a large Shiite Muslim population lives.

Israel is also increasingly carrying out targeted strikes against vehicles. A woman was killed on Thursday in an Israeli strike on a vehicle on a key road linking the capital Beirut to the Bekaa Valley and Syria, a security source told AFP.

The Lebanese National News Agency earlier reported that “an enemy drone targeted a vehicle in Araya,” adding that the strike had blocked the route to vehicle traffic.

The highway connects Beirut to the Syrian capital Damascus through the Lebanese mountains.