Malaysia says six UN peacekeepers injured in Lebanon blast

KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysia said on Nov 8 that six of its peacekeepers serving under the United Nations were injured in an explosion in Lebanon.

The defence ministry said in a statement shortly after midnight that the blast happened on Nov 7 near the Saida Stadium, but did not give details on what caused the explosion.

The UN has said that five Malaysian peacekeepers were among those wounded in an Israeli air strike in South Lebanon on Nov 7, in a raid that also killed three civilians.

Israel launched a barrage of strikes after Lebanon’s Hezbollah said it carried out a missile attack targeting a military base near Israel’s Ben Gurion International Airport on Nov 6.

Malaysia’s defence ministry said the explosion had “targeted another civilian vehicle headed towards Beirut but also caused damage to a bus carrying” the Malaysian UN peacekeepers, injuring six of them.

It described the injuries as “minor”, including one peacekeeper who suffered a fracture in the left arm and was taken to hospital.

The Malaysian Armed Forces “will continue to monitor this situation closely and will provide updates regarding the incident as they become available,” the statement said.

The armed forces “remains committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of its personnel while carrying out peacekeeping missions under the United Nations banner,” it added.

Hezbollah and Israel have been at war since late September, when Israel broadened its focus from fighting Hamas in the Gaza Strip to securing its northern border. AFP