A patrol operated by the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) came under fire near Wadi Jilu on Tuesday, with no injuries reported as the mission urged a swift Lebanese investigation.
UNIFIL said roughly 12 rounds were fired at the team during routine patrol work. The peacekeepers fired back after detecting a muzzle flash, and the shooting then stopped, the mission said.
UNIFIL said deliberate attacks on peacekeepers violate Security Council Resolution 1701 and international humanitarian law. It urged Lebanon's government to investigate quickly, identify those responsible and hold them accountable, and said all parties must protect U.N. personnel and property.
Anadolu Agency reported growing concerns about security in southern Lebanon as UNIFIL prepares to leave, citing continued Israeli attacks and military presence in the area and uncertainty over future security arrangements.
The Security Council extended UNIFIL's mandate through Dec. 31, 2026, under Resolution 2790 (2025), and directed an orderly drawdown and withdrawal to begin that day and finish within a year. The European Union Support Mission in Lebanon (EUSM Lebanon) has an initial planned area that excludes the southern zone patrolled by UNIFIL, leaving future monitoring there unresolved, as EconoTimes previously reported.
