New Delhi: There are 600 Indian soldiers stationed along the 120 km Blue Line on the Israel-Lebanon border, as part of the United Nations peacekeeping force.
Indian authorities, who had been closely monitoring the situation as the Israel-Hezbollah conflict escalated, have expressed concerns over the safety of UN peacekeepers posted in south Lebanon after they came under fire from Israeli forces which targeted Hezbollah in the region.
“We are concerned about the deteriorating security situation along the Blue Line. We continue to monitor the situation closely. Inviolability of UN premises must be respected by all, and appropriate measures taken to ensure the safety of UN peacekeepers and the sanctity of their mandate,” the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement on Friday.
India reacted a day after the UN said that the Naqoura headquarters of United Nations Interim Force In Lebanon (UNIFIL) and nearby positions were 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 injuries are fortunately, this time, not serious, but they remain in hospital,” the UN statement read.
Ever since Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah was eliminated in Israeli airstrikes in Beirut on September 27, the situation along the border between the two nations turned precarious.
Irrael Defense Forces (IDF) is reportedly using land-based weaponry in the region, thereby enhancing the risk for troops stationed there.
IDF has accused Hezbollah of operating in areas near UN posts.
“The IDF is operating in southern Lebanon and maintains routine communication with UNIFIL. This morning (Thursday), IDF troops operated in the area of Naqoura, next to a UNIFIL base. Accordingly, the IDF instructed the UN forces in the area to remain in protected spaces, following which the forces opened fire in the area,” said an IDF statement.