Explosion wounds UN peacekeepers in southern Lebanon

Dec 9, 2011, 12:42 GMT

Beirut - Five French peacekeepers and two Lebanese civilians were wounded Friday in a roadside bombing that targeted a United Nations convoy in south Lebanon, UN and Lebanese officials said.

The blast, which took place near the Palestinian refugee camp of Burj al Chamali, east of the southern port city of Tyre, drew condemnations from the Lebanese and French governments, the UN Interim forces in southern Lebanon, as well as Lebanon's Shiite movement Hezbollah.

'Lebanon considers that attacks against UNIFIL target not only the peacekeeping forces, but also the country's security and stability,' Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati said after the cabinet meeting.

UNIFIL commander Spanish General Alberto Asarta Cuevas said the attack made UNIFIL's determination for its mission 'even stronger.'

He condemned the attack, saying that 'this vile and despicable act not only aims to cause harm to the peacekeepers, but also to undermine the stability and peace that have been prevailing in south Lebanon.'

'We will not be diverted from our tasks and we remain focused in our efforts to fulfil our mandate together with the Lebanese armed forces.'

Some 12,000 UNIFIL peacekeepers are stationed in south Lebanon. The force was initially set up to monitor Lebanon's border with Israel.

It was expanded after a 2006 war between Israel and the Lebanese Shiite movement Hezbollah.

Hezbollah, in a statement, called on the Lebanese security forces to 'to strive to put an end to such attacks.'

In Paris, French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe condemned the 'cowardly attack' and called on the Lebanese authorities 'to do everything' to ensure those behind it are brought to justice.

It was not clear who was behind the attack, which was the third this year against UNIFIL peacekeepers.

An explosion targeted a French peacekeeping convoy near the city of Sidon in July. Six Italian peacekeepers were wounded in an explosion near Sidon in May.

The deadliest attack against UNIFIL occurred in 2007, when six Spanish peacekeepers were killed in an explosion.