https://arab.news/2vdwg
- 鈥淢ore than 25 people have been arrested by Lebanese army intelligence,鈥� with another person detained by the security services, Interior Minister Ahmad Al-Hajjar said
- A fragile ceasefire has been in place in Lebanon since November 27, after more than a year of hostilities and two of months of open war between Israel and Hezbollah there
BEIRUT: Lebanese authorities said Saturday that more than 25 people had been arrested following an attack on a United Nations convoy the day before that wounded two peacekeepers, including the force鈥檚 outgoing deputy commander.
UN and Lebanese officials have condemned Friday鈥檚 attack, which came as Hezbollah supporters for a second night blocked the road to the country鈥檚 only international airport over a decision barring two Iranian planes from landing there.
鈥淢ore than 25 people have been arrested by Lebanese army intelligence,鈥� with another person detained by the security services, Interior Minister Ahmad Al-Hajjar told reporters after an emergency security meeting Saturday.
鈥淭his does not mean these detainees carried out the attack... but the investigations will show who is responsible,鈥� he said.
The army and security agencies would bolster measures to 鈥渕aintain security and stability,鈥� Hajjar added, and violations would be treated 鈥渨ith all seriousness.鈥�
The UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) has demanded an investigation after one of its vehicles was set on fire during the incident, which wounded outgoing deputy force commander Chok Bahadur Dhakal, a Nepalese national who was heading home after ending his mission.
UNIFIL deputy spokesperson Kandice Ardiel told AFP a second Nepalese peacekeeper was also wounded and hospitalized.
President Joseph Aoun vowed 鈥渢he attackers will receive their punishment,鈥� and said 鈥渟ecurity forces will not be lenient with any party that tries to upset stability and civil peace,鈥� according to a statement from the presidency on X.
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam strongly condemned the 鈥渃riminal attack鈥� and promised to arrest the perpetrators during a conversation with UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert and UNIFIL Commander General Aroldo Lazaro.
In a meeting with Hajjar on Saturday, Salam emphasized the importance of maintaining security across the country, a statement from his office said. The premier was set to meet other 鈥渞elevant ministers鈥� later in the day.
The presidency鈥檚 statement said Aoun had stressed that the incident 鈥渃annot be allowed to be repeated,鈥� adding that the judiciary 鈥渉as begun investigations on the ground.鈥�
The army said Friday that several areas around the airport had seen 鈥渄emonstrations marked by acts of vandalism and clashes, including assaults on members of the armed forces and attacks against vehicles.鈥�
Videos circulating on social media showed demonstrators, some hooded and carrying Hezbollah flags, attacking a man in military garb and another in civilian clothes near the torched UNIFIL vehicle.
It remains unclear who was responsible for the attack.
There was no immediate official comment from Hezbollah, but its television channel Al-Manar late Friday blamed unidentified 鈥渕asked men.鈥�
It said the protesters expressed 鈥渢heir rejection of the attack on the UNIFIL convoy,鈥� adding their goal was 鈥渢o secure the return of citizens stuck in Iran.鈥�
The group鈥檚 ally the Amal movement, led by powerful parliament speaker Nabih Berri, said 鈥渢he attack on UNIFIL is an attack on south Lebanon鈥� and that 鈥渂locking roads anywhere is an assault on civil peace.鈥�
Several countries have condemned the incident, as did UN chief Antonio Guterres.
鈥淪uch attacks are absolutely unacceptable... The safety and security of UN personnel and property must be respected at all times,鈥� his spokesman, Stephane Dujarric, said in a statement.
鈥淎ttacks against peacekeepers are in breach of international law... and may constitute war crimes,鈥� the statement said, adding that 鈥淯NIFIL must be allowed unrestricted freedom of movement throughout Lebanon.鈥�
Israel has repeatedly accused Hezbollah of using Beirut airport to transfer weapons from Iran, claims Hezbollah and Lebanese officials have denied.
Iran-backed Hezbollah has a large popular base in Lebanon, though a year of hostilities with Israel and the ousting of its ally Bashar Assad in neighboring Syria have left the group weakened.
Lebanon鈥檚 Directorate General of Civil Aviation said Thursday it had 鈥渢emporarily rescheduled鈥� some flights, including from Iran, until February 18 as it was implementing 鈥渁dditional security measures.鈥�
The date coincides with the deadline for the withdrawal of Israeli forces from south Lebanon and for Hezbollah to vacate positions there, under a ceasefire deal that began on November 27.