"This is the second assault on UNIFIL peacekeepers in recent months,"
the U.S. State Department said. "We call on the government of Lebanon to
conduct a full investigation into the incident and ensure the perpetrators
are swiftly brought to justice."
"A five-vehicle convoy was between Beirut and Dar Kifa when one vehicle
was hit by an explosion, the reason for which is still undetermined," the
French military said.
A similar attack injured six members of the Italian contingent of UNIFIL
on May 28. The Lebanese Army has failed to make any arrests or determine the
identities of the attackers.
"The [UNIFIL] mission already has in place comprehensive security and
protective arrangements, which are regularly reviewed and risk mitigating
measures applied while ensuring mandate implementation," UNIFIL said on July
27.
UNIFIL has a force of 12,000 in southern Lebanon, believed controlled by
the Iranian-sponsored Hizbullah. Several of the nations that have
contributed forces to the UN mission have demanded an intensive Lebanese
effort to stop the bombings and capture the insurgents.
"We are working in coordination with the Lebanese Army to determine the
circumstances of the incident," a UNIFIL spokesman said.