India has condemned the killing of a United Nations peacekeeper in southern Lebanon after a mortar strike hit a UN position amid escalating violence in the region….reports Asian Lite News Desk
India has strongly condemned the killing of a United Nations peacekeeper in Lebanon and reiterated the need to protect UN personnel and facilities amid rising tensions along the Israel-Lebanon border.
In a statement issued on Thursday, India’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations denounced the attack on peacekeepers serving with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).
“India reiterates the fundamental importance of respecting the sanctity and inviolability of UN premises and personnel,” the mission said.
The attack took place on Wednesday when a mortar struck a UN position near Marji’yun in southern Lebanon, killing Sergeant Milovan Jovanovic of Serbia and injuring two other peacekeepers.
According to UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric, the wounded personnel are receiving treatment at a UNIFIL medical facility in southern Lebanon.
The death marks the seventh fatality involving UN peacekeepers in the area since March and comes amid a sharp escalation in hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah.
UN Secretary General António Guterres condemned the attack and warned that assaults on peacekeepers could constitute a war crime under international law.
“Attacks on peacekeepers must stop,” Dujarric said, describing them as grave violations of international humanitarian law.
UNIFIL has launched an investigation into the incident to determine the circumstances surrounding the strike. The peacekeeping force said it had recorded an increasing number of projectiles and impacts across southern Lebanon in recent weeks.
“The violence must end,” UNIFIL said in a statement.
The latest attack comes as fighting between Israel and Hezbollah continues to threaten a fragile ceasefire. Hezbollah intensified attacks following Israeli strikes on Iran, which were later joined by the United States, prompting retaliatory military action across the region.
Nearly 10,800 personnel currently serve with UNIFIL, including close to 1,000 Indian peacekeepers. No Indian casualties have been reported in the latest round of attacks.
Established in 1978, UNIFIL has spent nearly five decades monitoring hostilities and supporting stability in southern Lebanon. Its mandate includes assisting the Lebanese armed forces and helping the Lebanese government extend its authority across the country’s south.
The mission’s future remains uncertain after the UN Security Council voted last year to end the operation by the close of 2026.
The attack occurred as diplomatic efforts to preserve a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon gathered pace. The United States hosted talks involving both sides earlier this week, culminating in a renewed commitment to halt hostilities announced on Wednesday.
Welcoming the development, Guterres urged all parties to respect the agreement and support efforts to stabilise the region.
He called on Hezbollah and other armed groups to comply with decisions taken by the Lebanese government and support the state’s exclusive control over weapons.
The UN chief also urged Israel to withdraw completely from areas north of the Blue Line, the UN-demarcated boundary that serves as the de facto frontier between Israel and Lebanon.
Despite the renewed ceasefire efforts, concerns remain that continued violations and attacks on peacekeepers could further destabilise the region and undermine international efforts to maintain peace.
