India made the statement after the UN said that the headquarters of the United Nations Interim Force In Lebanon (UNIFIL) at Naqoura, along with other positions nearby, have been repeatedly hit by the Israeli forces.
India today expressed alarm over the safety of United Nations peacekeeping troops stationed in southern Lebanon after they were shelled by Israeli ground troops shooting artillery at Hezbollah positions along the frontier.
Of significance, 600 Indian troops are part of the UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon, which is manning the 120-km Blue Line on the Israel-Lebanon border.
On Friday, the Ministry of External Affairs issued the following statement: “We are concerned at the deteriorating security situation along the Blue Line and are continuing to monitor the situation closely.
All must respect the inviolability of UN premises, and appropriate measures must be taken to ensure the safety of UN peacekeepers and the sanctity of their mandate.”
The statement came a day after the UN said the Naqoura headquarters of the United Nations Interim Force In Lebanon, or UNIFIL, and nearby positions have been repeatedly hit by Israeli forces.
This morning, two peacekeepers were injured after an IDF Merkava tank fired its weapon toward an observation tower at UNIFIL’s headquarters in Naqoura, directly hitting it and causing them to fall, the UN statement said.
“The injuries, fortunately, are not serious this time, but they remain in hospital,” it added.
