Three United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon peacekeepers were injured on Friday, 3 April, in an explosion inside a UNIFIL position in the southern part of the country. According to the mission’s spokesman, Kandice Ardiel, two of the wounded are in serious condition. The origin of the explosion was not established immediately.
The incident occurred less than a week after a series of deadly attacks against the UN mission. An Indonesian peacekeepers were killed on the night of 29-30 March when a projectile exploded near a UNIFIL position in Adchit al-Qusayr. The following day, two other Indonesian peacekeepers were killed and two injured, including one seriously, in the explosion of a vehicle near Bani Hayyan.
With Friday’s explosion, UNIFIL is experiencing a third serious breach in less than a week. The United Nations mission has been deployed since 1978 in southern Lebanon to monitor the border area and support the implementation of Security Council resolutions. Since the resumption of the open war between Israel and Hezbollah in early March, its positions have become increasingly exposed to strikes, fire and explosive devices.
The precise circumstances of the Friday explosion were not publicly detailed at this stage. UNIFIL did not indicate whether the deflagration was caused by a projectile, a device placed at the site or another cause. In previous incidents, the United Nations had first spoken of explosions of unknown origin before indicating, on the basis of initial evidence, that a roadside explosion appeared to have struck the targeted convoy near Bani Hayyan.
The succession of these attacks has caused great concern among troop-contributing countries. In Poland, the prosecution announced the opening of an investigation into the 29 March attack on a patrol of peacekeepers, attributed to an improvised explosive device placed along the route of a military convoy. A Polish soldier was then wounded in his face and head.
The losses recorded since the end of March have been among the most serious for UNIFIL for years. They occur as the United Nations warns that attacks against peacekeepers can constitute serious violations of international law. After the death of the three Indonesian peacekeepers, an emergency meeting of the Security Council was convened in New York.
In southern Lebanon, the UN mission finds itself caught in an increasingly dense war zone. Israeli bombardments, ground fighting, exposed roads and the proliferation of explosions greatly complicate its movement and ability to maintain patrols. In this context, Friday’s explosion confirms the rapid deterioration of the security situation around UNIFIL positions.
