UN peacekeepers fired upon during patrols in southern Lebanon

UN Interim Force in Lebanon (Unifil) on Monday said three of its patrols were attacked and returned fire “in self-defence” and continued their patrols, with no injuries reported.

Last week, a UN base came under artillery fire from the Israeli military, injuring three Ghanaian peacekeepers. Unifil has said it is investigating whether that was a deliberate targeting of UN personnel by Israeli forces.

The incident comes as fighting intensified across southern Lebanon, with heavy Israeli air strikes reported around the city of Khiam and elsewhere in the south.

Strikes were also reported in the Bekaa Valley near the Syrian border and in the southern suburbs of Beirut.