The Albany Gazette - Lebanon president vows punishment for attackers of UN peacekeeper

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 11:00 am (0900 GMT), and said he visited two injured UNIFIL officers in hospital, emphasising "the Lebanese government's rejection of this attack".

The presidency's statement said Aoun had also checked on the deputy commander's condition and emphasised that the incident "cannot be allowed to be repeated".

Aoun also "followed up on developments regarding roadblocks, setting fires and riots, and issued directives to the army and security forces to put a stop to these practices", the statement said, adding that the judiciary "has begun investigations on the ground".

There was no immediate official comment from Hezbollah. However, the group's ally the Amal movement, led by powerful parliament speaker Nabih Berri, said "the attack on UNIFIL is an attack on south Lebanon" and that "blocking roads anywhere is an assault on civil peace".

- 'Absolutely unacceptable' -

The army said Friday that several areas around the airport had seen "demonstrations marked by acts of vandalism and clashes, including assaults on members of the armed forces and attacks against vehicles".

Videos circulating on social media showed demonstrators, some hooded and carrying Hezbollah flags, attacking a man in military garb and another in civilian clothes near the torched UNIFIL vehicle.

UN chief Antonio Guterres condemned the incident, a spokesman said Friday.

"Such attacks are absolutely unacceptable... The safety and security of UN personnel and property must be respected at all times," the statement from spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.

"Attacks against peacekeepers are in breach of international law... and may constitute war crimes," the statement said, adding that "UNIFIL must be allowed unrestricted freedom of movement throughout Lebanon in the implementation of its mandated activities".

Israel has repeatedly accused Hezbollah of using Beirut airport to transfer weapons from Iran, claims Hezbollah and Lebanese officials have repeatedly denied.

The Iran-backed group has a large popular base in Lebanon, though a year of hostilities with Israel and the ousting of the group's ally Bashar al-Assad in neighbouring Syria have left it weakened.

Lebanon's Directorate General of Civil Aviation said 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 withdrawal of Israeli forces from south Lebanon and for Hezbollah to vacate positions there, under a ceasefire deal that began on November 27.

(S.Perez--TAG)