AFP/Sidon, Lebanon
Five French soldiers serving with the UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon were wounded yesterday, one seriously, in a roadside bomb attack in the southern city of Sidon, a UN official said.
Members of the Lebanese Red Cross evacuate a wounded French soldier from the site of an explosion in Sidon yesterday
“According to preliminary reports, at around 6pm today an explosion targeted a Unifil convoy along the highway at Sidon,” said Neeraj Singh, spokesman for the UN Interim Force in Lebanon.
“Five Unifil peacekeepers were injured in the explosion. Three of the injured were transported to hospital for treatment.”
One of the soldiers taken to hospital was in serious condition with burns to his face and shrapnel in one eye, an official at Hammoud Hospital in Sidon said.
The second soldier was slightly wounded in his left eye, the official added, asking not to be named. The third soldier was released and sent back to base, he said.
An army spokesman said the bomb had been placed on the side of the road and was triggered as the peacekeepers’ convoy reached the southern entrance of Sidon.
The front of the troop carrier bore the brunt of the blast and was badly damaged, with several parts blown 20 to 30m away.
Several French peacekeepers could be seen covered in dust near the site of the explosion.
Unifil forensic experts rushed to the scene along with Lebanese troops, who cordoned off the area and began gathering evidence.
“We are working in co-ordination with the Lebanese army to determine the circumstances of the incident,” Singh said.
Prime Minister Najib Mikati denounced the attack as immoral, and said he had asked for a speedy probe to determine who was behind it.
He also contacted the French ambassador to express support, his office said.
In May, six Italian peacekeepers were wounded in Sidon in a similar roadside bombing.
