Army intervenes after UNIFIL-residents clash causes injuries

A clash erupted Friday morning between a UNIFIL patrol and residents of the southern town of al-Jmeijmeh in the Bint Jbeil district.

The National News Agency said the clash broke out after the patrol “entered a private property area in the town to be intercepted by the land owners and a number of town residents, who prevented it from continuing its mission because it was not accompanied by a Lebanese Army patrol.”

“This prompted the UNIFIL patrol troops, who belong to the French, Norwegian, Finnish and Scottish contingents, to fire in the air and hurl a tear gas canister to disperse the residents, after which an army patrol arrived and escorted the UNIFIL patrol out of the area,” NNA added, reporting several injuries among both residents and UNIFIL peacekeepers.

A UNIFIL spokesperson later said that troops were confronted by a "large group of individuals" during a routine patrol, calling the incident "unacceptable" and calling on Lebanon to "ensure that UNIFIL peacekeepers can carry out their mandated tasks without threats or obstruction."

A UNIFIL statement said the residents “attempted to stop the patrol using aggressive means, wielding metal sticks and axes, resulting in damage to the vehicles.”

The peacekeepers used “non-lethal force” in response, and there were no injuries, the statement added. But a statement from Jmaijmeh residents said that at least one person was wounded in the violence.

The residents' statement also accused the U.N. force of firing bullets and tear gas at them.

Hezbollah supporters in Lebanon frequently accuse the U.N. mission — which was created to oversee the withdrawal of Israeli troops from southern Lebanon after Israel’s 1978 invasion -- of collusion with Israel. Israel has accused the peacekeepers of turning a blind eye to Hezbollah’s military activities in southern Lebanon.

Earlier this week, UNIFIL issued a statement that complained of “aggressive behavior” by Israeli forces towards its peacekeepers, including shots fired across the border that hit a UNIFIL base south of the village of Kfarshouba.