Lebanon: One UN peacekeeper was killed and three injured in an armed attack near Aaqbiyeh, late Dec. 14

Event

Unidentified assailants attacked a two-vehicle UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) convoy near Aaqbiyeh, late Dec. 14. The attack left one peacekeeper dead and three others injured. Aaqbiyeh is located south of Sidon. The motive for the attack is unclear.

Heightened security is likely in the affected area over the near term. Additional checkpoints and patrols are possible in the area. Further attacks in the area or against UN peacekeepers cannot be ruled out.

Context

UNIFIL comprises around 13,000 UN peacekeepers stationed at the southern border between Lebanon and Israel. The interim force has the mandate to manage the Lebanese-Israeli ceasefire. Since the establishment of UNIFIL in 1978, 314 soldiers have died due to conflict-related violence and accidents. The latest attack against UNIFIL injured six soldiers when their vehicle hit a roadside bomb near Sidon in 2011. The last time peacekeepers were killed in an attack was in June 2007, when six soldiers were hit by a bomb blast between Marjayoun and Khaim in southern Lebanon.

Advice

Heed the advice of security personnel and leave the area immediately at the first sign of any confrontation. Allow additional time to reach destinations near the affected area, Dec. 15.