An airstrike struck near a battalion headquarters of Nepali peacekeepers deployed in Lebanon under a United Nations mission amid rising tensions in the Middle East. Officials confirmed that no human casualties were reported in the incident.
Explosion Near Nepali UN Peacekeeping Camp
The explosion occurred Friday evening near the Nepali battalion headquarters located in Al-Jabel in southeastern Lebanon. The area lies close to the “Blue Line,” the sensitive border demarcation between Israel and Lebanon where United Nations peacekeeping forces are deployed.
Citing Lebanon’s Ministry of Health, several international media outlets reported that a shell landed in the vicinity of the Nepali peacekeepers’ camp. Preliminary reports indicate that the incident damaged a building inside the camp but caused no injuries or deaths.
Nepali Army spokesperson Assistant Rathi Rajaram Basnet confirmed the incident, saying the damage was limited to infrastructure. According to Basnet, an unidentified object struck a building inside the battalion headquarters compound.
“The incident occurred yesterday evening. An unidentified object hit one of the buildings at the battalion headquarters, causing a fire that was later brought under control. There were no human casualties,” he said.
Basnet added that all Nepali peacekeepers deployed in the mission were inside bunkers at the time of the incident, which helped prevent injuries. He also said the United Nations will investigate the source and cause of the explosion.
United Nations Acknowledges the Incident
A spokesperson for António Guterres confirmed that the organization had received reports about the incident near the peacekeeping base. The spokesperson said additional details are being collected and further information will be released soon.
The Israeli military has not issued any immediate response regarding the incident.
Incident Occurs Amid Rising Middle East Tensions
Security tensions across the Middle East have intensified in recent weeks. On February 28, the United States and Israel carried out a joint military strike in Iran.
The attack reportedly killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei along with several senior officials. Following the strike, Hezbollah, an Iran-backed armed group, has launched aerial attacks on Israel from Lebanon.
In response, the United States and Israel have increased military operations in Lebanon in recent days. The explosion near the Nepali peacekeepers’ camp occurred during this period of heightened regional conflict, raising concerns about the safety of UN peacekeeping forces in the area.
