Lebanese President Joseph Aoun vowed to punish the perpetrators of an attack on a United Nations peacekeeping convoy, with authorities set to hold an emergency meeting on Saturday.
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The UN and Lebanese authorities have condemned Friday’s attack, which came as Hezbollah supporters for a second night blocked the road to the country’s only international airport over a decision barring two Iranian planes from landing there.
Aoun “emphasised that the attackers will receive their punishment” and said “security forces will not be lenient with any party that tries to upset stability and civil peace”, according to a statement from the presidency on X.
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 Nepalese outgoing deputy force commander Chok Bahadur Dhakal as he was returning home.
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam strongly condemned the “criminal attack” and promised to arrest the perpetrators during a conversation with UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert and UNIFIL Commander General Aroldo Lazaro.
Interior Minister Ahmad al-Hajjar has called an emergency security meeting on Saturday at 11am, and said he visited two injured UNIFIL officers in hospital, emphasising “the Lebanese government’s rejection of this attack”.