United Nations, June 4 (IANS). India has strongly condemned the attack on United Nations (UN) peacekeepers in Lebanon. A Serbian soldier deployed with the UN mission was killed in the attack, while two other peacekeepers were injured.
India’s Permanent Mission to the UN said in a statement issued on Thursday that India reiterates the importance of respecting the security and sanctity of UN premises and its personnel. India condemned the attack on Wednesday and demanded action against the culprits.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also strongly criticized the attack, saying that the incident could fall into the category of a war crime. He appealed for an immediate end to attacks on peacekeepers.
Stephane Dujarric, the secretary-general’s spokesman, said Sergeant Milovan Jovanovic, a Serbian member of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), was killed when a mortar shell hit a UN post near the Marjayoun area.
He said two other peacekeepers injured in the attack were being treated at the UNIFIL medical center in southern Lebanon. Dujarric said the attacks on peacekeepers were a serious violation of international humanitarian law.
UNIFIL has launched an investigation into the incident. The organization has said it is trying to find out the circumstances under which the attack took place amid rising tensions.
According to UNIFIL, incidents of shelling and missile attacks have increased steadily in recent days in southern Lebanon. The organization warned that violence in the region must end immediately.
Tension in the region further increased after Iran-backed organization Hezbollah intensified its attacks against Israel following Israeli attacks on Iran.
The UNIFIL mission in Lebanon currently employs about 10,800 peacekeepers, including about 1,000 Indian soldiers. It is a matter of relief that there is no news of any casualty of any Indian soldier in the recent attack.
–IANS
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