| Bomb wounds French peacekeepers | Send to a friend |
| Sunday, 11 December 2011 10:23 |
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The UN Security Council strongly condemned the third attack this year against the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (Unifil). The bomb targeted a French Unifil patrol on the southern outskirts of the coastal city of Tyre, a security official said. Five peacekeepers and two civilians were hurt, officials said. An AFP correspondent in Tyre saw three peacekeepers -- a woman and two men -- standing by their badly damaged white vehicle with bandages on their heads. One had a bloodied face. None had life-threatening injuries, officials said. "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 the south," UNIFIL commander Major-General Alberto Asarta Cuevas said in a statement.UNIFIL patrols have been the target of a string of unclaimed roadside bomb attacks in recent years. Friday's blast took place amid heightened tension over the revolt in Syria, with politicians and diplomats warning the unrest could spill into Lebanon, whose government is dominated by the pro-Syrian militant group Hezbollah. The UNIFIL force stationed in the south of the country is considered an easy target if unrest did spread to Lebanon. The office of Lebanese President Michel Sleiman, who is on a visit to Armenia, issued a statement denouncing the attack. "This terrorist attack is aimed at pressuring these (French) troops to leave Lebanon and to pave the way for (further) terrorist acts," Sleiman said. (AFP) Add this page to your favorite Social Bookmarking websites           |
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