Concerned: MEA on clashes near sites with Indian peacekeepers

India on Friday expressed concern over the "deteriorating" security situation along the Blue Line- dividing Lebanon from Israel and Golan Heights-following an Israeli military strike at an observation post belonging to the United Nations Interim Force In Lebanon (UNIFIL) peacekeeping force at its main base at Naqoura in southern Lebanon.

The attack on the UNIFIL post injured two people.

In a statement, the external affairs ministry said that the "inviolability of UN premises must be respected by all" and that appropriate measures must be taken to ensure the safety of UN peacekeepers and the sanctity of their mandate. "We continue to monitor the situation closely," it said.


About 600 Indian soldiers are part of the UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon, and are stationed along the 120-km Blue Line on the Israel-Lebanon border.

China condemned the attack and urged an investigation, stating that deliberate attacks on peacekeepers constitute violations of international humanitarian law. Italy, a major contributor of troops to the UNIFIL, suggested that such actions "could constitute war crimes", while the US said it was "deeply concerned".

The UNIFIL premises was one of the three locations at which Israeli forces opened fire amid the ongoing hostilities between Israel and the Lebanon-based Hezbollah.

The UNIFIL confirmed that the Israel Defense Forces had notified it of its intention to carry out "limited" ground incursions into Lebanon, asserting that its peacekeepers would remain in position despite the ongoing developments. The organisation urged all parties to refrain from escalating tensions.