​​​​BEIRUT

The UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon (UNIFIL) mourned one of its peacekeepers Friday, who the mission said died in a road accident in the south.

UNIFIL said one of its convoys "was involved in a road accident along the coastal road, near the village of Shama," in the morning,

"Unfortunately, one French peacekeeper died and three others sustained light injuries in the accident," it added.

The Israeli army has attacked several UNIFIL posts across southern Lebanon since it launched its ground offensive in southern Lebanon in early October, triggering condemnations worldwide.

UNIFIL was established as interim force in 1978 to help restore peace in the region and as a confirmation of Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon.

Israel launched an air campaign in Lebanon against what it claims are targets of the Hezbollah group in late September, in an escalation from a year of cross-border warfare.

More than 3,400 people have been killed, nearly 14,600 injured and more than 1 million displaced by Israeli attacks since last October, according to Lebanese health authorities.

Despite international warnings that the Middle East region was on the brink of a regional war, Tel Aviv expanded the conflict by launching a ground assault into southern Lebanon on Oct. 1.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar