Kathmandu [Nepal], October 15 : After an attack on the United Nations Interim Forces in Lebanon (UNIFIL) peacekeeping mission, which resulted in injury to several members of the international force in the past week, Nepal Army on Tuesday confirmed that Nepal UN peacekeepers are safe.
Spokesperson for the Nepal Army, Gaurav Kumar KC confirmed that "regular contact with the troops in Lebanon has been established ensuring their well-being."
Furthermore, the Army spokesperson also stated that sporadic incidents have disrupted daily operations but have not impacted the safety of the personnel.
"The Nepali peacekeeping forces will continue to follow directives from the UN and mission headquarters based on the evolving situation," KC added. As of now, there are 877 Nepali soldiers stationed in Lebanon as part of the UN peacekeeping efforts.
Nepal, one of the highest contributing countries in terms of forces in the UN peacekeeping missions on Monday evening strongly condemned recent attacks on UNIFIL peacekeepers and urged parties in the conflict to ensure the safety and security of UN personnel.
The Nepali government strongly condemned the recent attacks on the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) peacekeepers and called for their safety and security.
"Nepal strongly condemns recent attacks on the UNIFIL peacekeepers and urges parties of the conflict to guarantee their safety & security. Such actions must stop immediately & should be adequately investigated," read the post on X shared by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Nepal without mentioning who had attacked the UNIFIL peacekeepers.
In a statement, the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) stated that two Israel Defense Forces (IDF) tanks destroyed the main gate of a post in Ramyah, near the Israeli border, and "forcibly entered the position" to request it turn out its lights. The incident is reported to have taken place on October 13.
About two hours later, it said rounds were fired nearby that saw smoke enter the camp, causing 15 peacekeepers to suffer skin irritations and gastrointestinal reactions. The IDF offered a different version of events, saying it had encroached on a Unifil position to evacuate soldiers who had been wounded by an anti-tank missile.
After the attacks, a joint statement was issued by the 34 UNIFIL-contributing countries. The co-signatories included countries such as Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Brazil, Cambodia, France, Hungary, Italy, and Korea, amongst other partners.
In the joint statement issued by the member states, it was noted that UNIFIL's role is crucial in light of the escalating situation in the region.
"We urge the parties of the conflict to respect UNIFIL's presence, which entails the obligation to guarantee the safety and security of its personnel at all times, so that they can continue to implement its mandate and continue their work of mediation and support for peace and stability in Lebanon and the entire region," the press release stated.
"As the contributors to the United Nations Intermin Force in Lebanon, we reaffirm our full support for UNIFIL's mission and activities, whose principal aim is to bring stabilisation and lasting peace in South Lebanon as well as in the Middle East, in
line with relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council," the member countries reiterated.
The states gave a call to respect international law, especially the Charter of the United Nations as well as the relevant resolutions of the Security Council.
UNIFIL was created by the UN Security Council in March 1978 to restore international peace and security and assist the Lebanese government in restoring its effective authority in the area.
The force as of now includes over 10,000 personnel deployed on the ground.