US condemns attack on UNIFIL convoy in Beirut

WASHINGTON

The US on Friday condemned an attack on a UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) convoy near Beirut's Rafik Hariri International Airport that left a senior UN peacekeeper injured.

"We condemn the violent attack on a UNIFIL convoy in Beirut, Lebanon, reportedly by a group of Hizballah supporters. This attack resulted in multiple injuries on UN peacekeepers," State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said in a statement.

Bruce commended the Lebanese Armed Forces for their "swift response" in preventing further violence and the Lebanese government for its commitment to "take all necessary measures to hold individuals accountable for their actions."

"We extend our wishes for a swift recovery to all those affected," she added.

The attack occurred near the airport, where UN peacekeepers were confronted by protesters who set a UNIFIL vehicle on fire.

"This evening a UNIFIL convoy taking peacekeepers to Beirut airport was violently attacked, and a vehicle was set on fire," UNIFIL said in a statement, adding that "UNIFIL’s outgoing Deputy Force Commander, who was returning home after ending his mission, was injured."

The attack follows Lebanon's decision Thursday to permit an Iranian plane to land at the airport, triggering protests by the Hezbollah supporters who blocked the main road to the airport.

Israeli army spokesman Avichay Adraee claimed Wednesday that Hezbollah and Iran's Quds Force use the airport to smuggle funds to arm the Lebanese resistance group through civilian flights.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the incident, emphasizing that attacks on peacekeepers are a violation of international law.

The UN force operates under Security Council Resolution 1701, adopted in 2006, which requires the withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon, and establishes a weapons-free zone between the Blue Line (marking Israel's 2000 withdrawal from Lebanon) and the Litani River, with exceptions for the Lebanese army and UNIFIL forces.