As many as 600 Indian soldiers are part of the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Lebanon.
The troops in this mission, together referred to as UNFIL – UN Interim Force in Lebanon, are stationed along the 120-km Blue Line – which separates Lebanon and Israel. These forces recently came under fire from Israeli forces attacking Hezbollah.
Recently, two back to back incidents happened in Lebanon where the peacekeeping forces came under the fire of the ongoing turmoil in the region. While previously two Indonesian soldiers were injured, in another incident after that the Italian Battalion of UNIFIL came under the attack and some injuries were reported.
These injured soldiers were treated at a hospital managed by the Indian Troops in the area.
Following the development India has expressed concerns over the safety of UN peacekeepers stationed in south Lebanon. The Ministry of External Affairs has said it is concerned about the deteriorating security situation along the Blue Line. It said they are monitoring the situation closely.
At present, a total of 10 battalions under the UNIFIL are deployed in the region. These battalions are classified into two sector battalions – Sector East (4 Battalions) and Sector West (5 Battalions).
In a similar development, China too expressed that such an attack on UNIFIL positions and sentry towers, which have led to injuries to UNIFIL personnel, is a serious concern and requires strong condemnation of the Israeli Defence Forces.
China has also urged Israel to take immediate measures to cool down the situation and ensure safety of UN peacekeepers in order to prevent the conflict from escalating beyond control.
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNFIL) was set up in the year 1978 by United Nations Security Council Resolutions to confirm Hezbollah demilitarisation, support Lebanese army operations against insurgents and assist the government of Lebanon to restore its authority in the region.
UNFIL has been operating along the “Blue Line” since the 1970s. Israel withdrew from Lebanon in 2000. In the absence of an agreed border, the UN identified a 120km line of withdrawal known as the Blue Line, which UNIFIL monitors and patrols.
