An Israeli tank fired at the headquarters of the UN peacekeeping mission in southern Lebanon, wounding two members of the force, the UN said on Thursday.
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said an Israeli army tank directly hit a UN observation post in the small town of Naqoura.
These are the first casualties among the UNIFIL mission since Israel’s ground offensive against the pro-Iranian Hezbollah militia in Lebanon began last week.
UNIFIL said the peacekeepers were injured after an Israeli tank “directly” hit the watchtower, causing the two to fall.
“Fortunately the injuries are not serious this time, but they remain in hospital,” the statement said.
UNIFIL said its main base in Naqoura and other nearby positions had been “repeatedly hit” during the fighting.
The Israeli military made no immediate comment.
The UN mission has been monitoring the border area between Lebanon and Israel for decades. More than 10,000 UN soldiers from more than 50 countries are involved. Many of the UN troops come from Indonesia, Italy and India.
Located on the Mediterranean coast, Naqoura is the first urban center of significant size in Lebanon, close to the demarcation line with Israel.
