Indonesian UN peacekeeper killed, some injured in southern Lebanon

A United Nations peacekeeper from Indonesia was killed on Sunday, March 29, when a projectile exploded at a UN position near the southern Lebanese village of Adchit al-Qusayr, according to the UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon (UNIFIL). In a statement released early Monday, UNIFIL also reported that another peacekeeper was critically injured in the incident. Indonesia's foreign ministry confirmed that the deceased peacekeeper was Indonesian and noted that three other peacekeepers were hurt due to indirect artillery fire near their contingent's location. UNIFIL stated, "We do not know the origin of the projectile. We have launched an investigation to determine all of the circumstances." The mission is in southern Lebanon to oversee tensions along the border with Israel, a region that frequently sees clashes between Israeli forces and Hezbollah, which is backed by Iran. The UNIFIL mission is set to end in 2026 and has faced danger from both Israel and Hezbollah in recent years. On March 6, Ghana's military reported that its UN peacekeeping battalion's headquarters in Lebanon was struck by missiles, leaving two soldiers critically injured. Israel admitted that its tank fire hit a UN site in southern Lebanon that same day, injuring the Ghanaian peacekeepers. The Israeli military explained that their troops were responding to anti-tank missile attacks from Hezbollah, which had also injured two Israeli soldiers.