UN vehicle torched, commander wounded as Hezbollah supporters protest / Photo: © AFP
UN vehicle torched, commander wounded as Hezbollah supporters protest
A UN peacekeeping force vehicle in Lebanon was torched Friday as supporters of militant group Hezbollah blocked the road to Beirut airport in protest, with UNIFIL reporting one commander wounded in the incident.
Hezbollah supporters have blocked the road to the country's only airport for two consecutive nights over a decision barring two Iranian planes from landing in the Lebanese capital.
The Lebanese army pledged to take firm action against those behind the torching of the vehicle, which according to the force wounded its outgoing deputy commander.
"Several areas, particularly the area around the airport... have been the scene of demonstrations marked by acts of vandalism and clashes, including assaults on members of the armed forces and attacks against vehicles" of the United Nations, the army posted on X.
Troops will take "firm action to prevent any breach of public order and arrest troublemakers", it added.
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon demanded a "full and immediate investigation by Lebanese authorities".
"Attacks on peacekeepers are flagrant violations of international law and may amount to war crimes," the UNIFIL peacekeeping force said.
"We demand a full and immediate investigation by Lebanese authorities and for all perpetrators to be brought to justice."
- Ceasefire deadline -
Hezbollah still has a sizeable power base in Lebanon even after a year of war with Israel and the ousting in neighbouring Syria of its ally Bashar al-Assad left it massively weakened.
Israel has repeatedly accused Hezbollah of using Beirut airport to transfer weapons from Iran, claims Hezbollah and Lebanese officials have repeatedly denied.
Lebanon's Directorate General of Civil Aviation said on Thursday it had "temporarily rescheduled" some flights including from Iran until February 18 as it was implementing "additional security measures".
The date coincides with the deadline for the full implementation of a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah.
Violent protests are not rare in Lebanon, but there has been a major shift in the power balance in recent months.
Up until last year, Hezbollah played a dominant role in Lebanese politics and few in the security or political establishment would dare openly confront it.
Now, with its longtime leader Hassan Nasrallah dead and with the loss of Syria as its main conduit of weapons from Iran, its sway has been much diminished.
Under the ceasefire that took effect November 27, Lebanon's military was to deploy in the south alongside United Nations peacekeepers as the Israeli army withdrew over a 60-day period, later extended until February 18.
The Israeli military is prepared to withdraw from Lebanese territory and hand over areas to the Lebanese army "within the timeline" set by a US-French-mediated ceasefire agreement, a senior Israeli security official said.
Hezbollah was also expected to vacate its positions in the south, near the Israeli border, during the same period.
F.Hughes--TNT
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