BEIRUT, March 15 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said on Sunday that its troops came under gunfire in three separate incidents while conducting patrols around their positions in southern Lebanon.
In a statement, UNIFIL said the shootings were likely carried out by armed groups not affiliated with the Lebanese state, targeting patrols near the municipalities of Yater, Deir Kifa, and Qalaouiyah.
The incident in Yater involved close-range fire from about 5 meters away. In the other two incidents, gunfire came from distances of roughly 100 and 200 meters away.
Two UNIFIL patrols returned fire briefly in self-defense, with no peacekeepers injured in any of the exchanges.
UNIFIL condemned the attacks, emphasizing that the presence of weapons outside state control within its area of operations violates United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701.
"It is unacceptable for peacekeepers carrying out tasks mandated by the Security Council to be targeted," the statement said.
"Any attack against UNIFIL peacekeepers constitutes a serious violation of international humanitarian law and of Resolution 1701, and may amount to a war crime," the statement added.
