Tensions Intensify as Residents Obstruct UNIFIL Patrol in Lebanese village
(MENAFN) On Wednesday morning, southern Lebanon witnessed a sharp escalation when local residents obstructed a United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) patrol during a mission conducted alongside the Lebanese army.
The incident unfolded in the Yater neighborhood of Bint Jbeil district, where peacekeepers encountered a hostile crowd blocking their movement, according to a state-run news agency.
The report alleged that UNIFIL forces aimed their weapons at the gathering, which triggered intervention by the Lebanese army to defuse the standoff in coordination with UNIFIL’s liaison team.
UNIFIL spokesperson Andrea Tenenti disputed these accusations, stating, "Contrary to some media claims, the peacekeepers did not raise their weapons."
He clarified, "A group of men in civilian clothes stopped peacekeepers while they were on a planned patrol, coordinated with the Lebanese army," and added, "The situation was calm, and the peacekeepers were able to proceed after about thirty minutes."
Tenenti emphasized that UNIFIL operates in southern Lebanon at the Lebanese government's request under a United Nations Security Council mandate, warning, "any interference in peacekeepers' duties is unacceptable and contradicts Lebanon's commitments under UN Security Council Resolution 1701."
This episode underscores the fragile relationship between UNIFIL personnel and local communities in the area, where friction occasionally arises despite joint coordination with Lebanese authorities.
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