The outgoing deputy commander of the UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon has been injured after protesters attacked a convoy near Beirut airport.
Demonstrators have been blocking the road to the airport to protest against a decision to revoke permission for a passenger plane from Iran to fly to Beirut on Thursday.
The move had left dozens of Lebanese passengers stranded.
The decision to ban the Iranian plane came after the Israeli army issued a statement claiming that Iran was smuggling cash to the militant group Hezbollah via civilian flights.
Scene of the convoy attack
A statement from the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNFIL) said: “We are shocked by this outrageous attack on peacekeepers who have been serving to restore security and stability to south Lebanon during a difficult time,” it said.
It said that the deputy commander – Major General Chok Bahadur Dhakal from Nepal – had been set to leave the country after completing his mission when the UNIFIL convoy “was violently attacked, and a vehicle was set on fire”.
The Lebanese army said in a statement that acting commander Major General Hassan Odeh had contacted UNIFIL and promised to “work to arrest the citizens who attacked its members and bring them to justice”.
Lebanon‘s civil aviation agency said on Thursday that “additional security measures” meant some flights were temporarily rescheduled until 18 February.
