Deputy UNIFIL Force Commander was injured after Hezbollah supporters attacked a convoy of UNIFIL vehicles, in protest against Lebanon’s refusal to allow a flight from Iran to land in Beirut.
Lebanon’s military court has reportedly charged 26 men with attacking members of the UN peacekeeping mission (UNIFIL) in February during a protest south of Beirut by Hezbollah supporters.
Judge Fadi Akiki, State Commissioner to the Military Court, which oversees cases related to terror and espionage, charged them with forming a criminal gang, attacking vehicles belonging to the United Nations Interim Force In Lebanon (UNIFIL), attempted murder, terrorism, and stealing $29,000, according to local media.
Only seven of the suspects are currently detained while the rest are still being pursued.
On the night of 14 February, Hezbollah supporters blocked a road leading to Beirut Airport, protesting against the Lebanese government’s decision to ban flights from Iran, after Israel claimed Tehran was smuggling cash for Hezbollah on commercial flights and threatened to bomb Beirut airport if they were allowed to land there.
Outgoing deputy commander Major General Chok Bahadur Dhakal, who was heading home after completing his work with UNIFIL, was injured in the attack, while two other Nepalese personnel were also assaulted and managed to escape the attackers. Their vehicle was then set ablaze.
The “criminal attack” was condemned by UNIFIL and the Lebanese government, which vowed to punish the perpetrators.
At least 30 suspects were arrested hours after the attack during raids carried out by the Lebanese security forces in the southern suburbs of Beirut, but some were released after being found to have no connection.
One individual is said to have thrown a petrol bomb at the UN vehicle, setting it ablaze.
The suspects face penalties that can reach life imprisonment with hard labor, especially since they were charged with attempting to murder UNIFIL troops and also harming Lebanese Army soldiers.
The indefinite ban on flights from Iran has angered Hezbollah supporters, especially after a group of Lebanese Shiite pilgrims were stranded in Tehran for days after an Iranian Mahan Air flight was banned from traveling to Beirut.
Lebanon’s MEA offered to fly the pilgrims back to Beirut, but in a tit-for-tat move the Iranian authorities refused the offer.
The “criminal attack” was slammed by UNIFIL and the Lebanese government, which vowed to punish the perpetrators.
New Arab