UN chief Antonio Guterres condemns deadly attack on UNIFIL, calls for ceasefire respect

In a post shared on X, Guterres said, "I strongly condemn Saturday's attack on @UNIFIL_ during which one French peacekeeper was killed & another three were injured."

He expressed condolences to the victim's family and wished a speedy recovery to those injured. "I extend my deepest condolences to the family, friends & colleagues of the fallen peacekeeper, and wish a full & fast recovery to the injured peacekeepers," he said.

Highlighting a pattern of violence, the UN chief noted that this was not an isolated incident. "This is the third incident in recent weeks to have resulted in the deaths of peacekeepers serving in Lebanon," he added.

Calling for an immediate halt to such attacks, Guterres said, "These attacks must stop. All actors must respect the cessation of hostilities & the ceasefire."

Meanwhile, Bahrain has also condemned the attack in Lebanon, describing it as a "terrorist" act and a "flagrant violation" of international law, Al Jazeera reported.

In a statement, the Foreign Ministry affirmed Bahrain's solidarity with Lebanon and expressed support for efforts to bring those responsible to justice, as per Al Jazeera.

The ministry also reiterated its backing for UNIFIL's role in maintaining peace and stability in the country, as per a report by Al Jazeera.

On the other hand, the Israeli military said a soldier was killed in southern Lebanon on Friday, Al Jazeera reported.

Command Sergeant Barak Kalfon, 48, died after succumbing to wounds sustained during the incident, which also left three other soldiers injured, the military said, without giving further details, according to Al Jazeera.

Earlier, the UNIFIL, in a statement issued on its telegram channel, said that on Saturday morning, a UNIFIL patrol clearing explosive ordnance along a road in the village of Ghanduriyah to re-establish links with isolated UNIFIL positions came under small-arms fire from non-state actors.

"Tragically, one peacekeeper succumbed to his injuries and three others were injured, two of them seriously. The injured peacekeepers have been taken to medical facilities for treatment", the statement added.

UNIFIL condemned the deliberate attack on peacekeepers engaged in their mandated tasks and said that the work of explosive ordnance disposal teams is vital in the mission's area of operations, especially in the wake of the recent hostilities.

"UNIFIL has launched an investigation to determine the circumstances surrounding this tragic incident. Initial assessment indicates the fire came from non-state actors (allegedly Hizbullah)", the statement said.

It called on the Government of Lebanon to swiftly initiate an investigation to identify and hold the perpetrators accountable for the crimes committed against UNIFIL peacekeepers.

Meanwhile, Lebanese armed group Hezbollah has denied any involvement in this morning's attack on United Nations peacekeepers in southern Lebanon, Al Jazeera reported.

"We deny any connection to us with the incident that occurred with UNIFIL forces in the Ghandouriyeh area in Bint Jbeil," the group said in a statement. "We call for exercising caution in issuing judgements regarding the incident pending the investigations of the Lebanese Army," it added, as per Al Jazeera. (ANI)