5th UN peacekeeper injured in gunfire in S. Lebanon

The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) announced on Saturday that one of its soldiers was injured by gunfire due to ongoing military operations in the vicinity, reported Xinhua.

With this, a total of five peacekeepers were wounded in south Lebanon near the Israeli border in just two days, international media reported.

A statement released by the UNIFIL noted that the peacekeeper was injured last night at the UNIFIL headquarters in Naqoura.

"The soldier underwent surgery at the mission's hospital in Naqoura to remove the bullet and is now in stable condition. We do not yet know the source of the gunfire," it said, noting that buildings at the UN site in Ramieh town also sustained severe damage last night due to explosions caused by nearby shelling.

"We remind all actors of their obligations to ensure the safety and security of UN personnel and installations, including avoiding combat activities near UNIFIL positions," stressed the statement.

In a statement on Friday, the UNIFIL said that "its headquarters in Naqoura was subjected to explosions for the second time in 48 hours, where two peacekeeping soldiers were injured after two explosions occurred near a watchtower."

"Several walls in our UN site near the Blue Line in Labbouneh collapsed when an Israeli tank shelled the site's surroundings," it said.

Since the beginning of October, the Israeli army has conducted targeted ground operations against Hezbollah positions near the southern Lebanon border, while also intensifying its airstrikes and artillery shelling on the southern suburbs of Beirut.