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UN peacekeepers report drone strike observation and threats to personnel in southern Lebanon
Summary
UNIFIL said peacekeepers in southern Lebanon observed an Israeli drone strike and reported harassment and laser targeting; the mission said it destroyed an underground weapons cache with Lebanese Armed Forces approval.
The UN peacekeeping mission in southern Lebanon (UNIFIL) reported that its personnel observed an Israeli drone strike in the town of Al Mansouri and expressed concern about reported civilian casualties, including injuries to two children.
The mission also reported incidents in which the movement of peacekeepers was obstructed by local individuals in two instances, and that Israeli forces pointed lasers at UN personnel conducting operations in Sector West. UNIFIL said it protested these behaviors and reiterated the responsibility of all parties to ensure the safety of UN staff and property and to respect the inviolability of UN premises and assets.
UNIFIL further reported that on May 16 it destroyed a weapons and ammunition cache in Sector West because the cache was in an underground cavity that could not be safely removed; the operation was carried out with the approval of the Lebanese Armed Forces and was deconflicted with the Israel Defense Forces, the briefing said.
The United Nations said peacekeepers continue efforts to support the Lebanese Armed Forces in addressing unauthorized weapons in UNIFIL’s area of operations.
