A day after eight Austrian peacekeepers were slightly injured by a rocket strike in southern Lebanon, the army gave the signal: the men were back on duty on Wednesday morning and no one had to be flown out.
They were the first Austrian victims in the conflict between Israel and the Hezbollah militia in Lebanon: On Tuesday, eight soldiers of the armed forces were injured in a rocket attack on the UN base in Naqoura. The UN now assumes that the rocket was fired from Lebanon by Hezbollah. It is said that it was a wanderer who accidentally ended up in the camp.
Psychological support
A day later, the Bundeswehr soldiers are back on duty, the “Krone” learned. No one had to be flown out, but there was psychological support on site. The injuries were limited to superficial abrasions, the report said.
Security measures in the camp are high and people are only allowed to leave the building wearing a protective vest and helmet. There is no possibility of deduction; this has already been communicated in advance. There will be no solo efforts by Austria.
Official response from Lebanon
On Tuesday evening, Foreign Minister Schallenberg called his Lebanese counterpart Bou Habib to condemn Hezbollah’s actions. According to the Foreign Ministry, Habib himself was “shocked” by the incident. The goal of Lebanon’s official representation is still for Hezbollah to withdraw from the south and for full state control to be established there.
The UNIFIL Camp Naqoura is located approximately 110 kilometers south of the Lebanese capital Beirut, on the border with Israel:
Blue helmets are increasingly in the line of fire
The UN observation mission UNIFIL in Lebanon says it has been targeted several times by the warring parties in recent weeks. Most attacks on blue helmets are attributed to Israeli forces, who deploy air and ground troops to fight the radical Islamist Hezbollah militia in Lebanon. Israel has called for the withdrawal of UNIFIL forces from combat areas.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
