India 'Concerned' As UN Peacekeeping Forces Base Attacked Amid Israel-Lebanon Conflict

Representational Image. (ANI)

Israel-Lebanon Conflict: India on Friday expressed concern pertaining to the deteriorating security situation along the Blue Line that stretches for 120 km along Lebanon's southern frontier and is a key to peace in the region. 

On Thursday, the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFL) revealed that its Naqoura headquarters and nearby positions have been repeatedly hit and widespread destruction of towns and villages has taken place in south Lebanon following clashes between Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers and Hezbollah elements on the ground.

The force had said that two of its peacekeepers sustained injuries following a firing by an IDF Merkava tank using its weapon towards an observation tower at UNIFIL's headquarters in Naqoura, directly hitting it and causing them to fall. The UN force also includes several Indian peacekeepers. They are reported safe.

In a statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Friday, it expressed concerns over the security situation along the Blue Line, saying that the inviolability of UN premises must be respected by all. 

"We are concerned at the deteriorating security situation along the Blue Line. We continue to monitor the situation closely. Inviolability of UN premises must be respected by all, and appropriate measures taken to ensure the safety of UN peacekeepers and the sanctity of their mandate," the MEA statement read.

The UNIFL said that the IDF soldiers had also fired on the UN position in Labbouneh, hitting the entrance to the bunker where peacekeepers were sheltering and damaging vehicles and a communications system.

"We remind the IDF and all actors of their obligations to ensure the safety and security of UN personnel and property and to respect the inviolability of UN premises at all times. UNIFIL peacekeepers are present in south Lebanon to support a return to stability under the Security Council mandate. Any deliberate attack on peacekeepers is a grave violation of international humanitarian law and of Security Council resolution 1701," a UNIFL statement mentioned.

The Blue Line was set by the United Nations in 2000 for the practical purpose of confirming the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the south of Lebanon. According to UNIFIL, the peacekeepers remain its temporary custodians, focused on maintaining calm and stability along this fragile frontier and avoiding unnecessary provocations and incidents that may lead to crisis and potentially to a conflict.

(With IANS Inputs)