UPDATE – 5 UN peacekeepers injured in Israeli drone strike in southern Lebanon

UPDATES WITH DETEAILS
By Naim Berjawi
BEIRUT (AA) – Five peacekeepers were injured in a drone strike near a military checkpoint in Sidon in southern Lebanon on Thursday, the UN mission said.
In a statement, the mission said the injuries occurred as a UNIFIL convoy bringing newly-arrived peacekeepers to south Lebanon was passing Sidon when a drone strike hit nearby.
Three Lebanese soldiers were also injured in the attack, it said, without specifying who was behind the drone strike.
“We remind all actors of their obligation to avoid actions putting peacekeepers or civilians in danger. Differences should be resolved at the negotiating table, not through violence,” it added.
The Lebanese army, however, confirmed that an Israeli drone struck a car as it was passing by the Al-Awali military checkpoint in Sidon.
A military statement said three people were killed in the attack, which also injured three soldiers at the checkpoint.
The army said that the injured peacekeepers were members of the Malaysian contingent.
No information was yet available about the identity of those inside the targeted car.
UNIFIL operates between the Litani River in southern Lebanon and the Blue Line, which serves as the border with Israel, as part of its mandate under UN Security Council Resolution 1701 to maintain security in the region.
A massive Israeli air campaign in Lebanon has been ongoing since late September against what it claims are Hezbollah targets, an escalation in year-long cross-border warfare since the start of the Gaza war.
More than 3,000 people have been killed and over 13,500 injured in Israeli attacks since October 2023, according to Lebanese health authorities.
Israel launched a ground assault into southern Lebanon on Oct. 1.
*Writing by Rania Abu Shamala