United Nations, April 21 (NationPress) The UN Security Council has condemned the attack on the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) in the strongest terms, which resulted in the death of a peacekeeper from France and left three others injured, with two sustaining serious injuries.

In a statement released on Monday (Local time), the members of the Council urged the UN to conduct a prompt investigation into the incident that transpired on Saturday. They emphasized the necessity of holding those accountable for this act without delay and insisted on keeping the relevant troop-contributing nation updated on the investigation's progress.

Highlighting that peacekeepers should never be targeted, they extended their deepest sympathies and condolences to the victims' families, expressing solidarity with France and hoping for a swift recovery for the injured personnel, as reported by Xinhua news agency.

The members reaffirmed their unwavering support for UNIFIL and called upon all parties to take necessary actions to ensure the safety and security of UNIFIL personnel and facilities, along with the mission’s freedom of movement in line with international law.

They reiterated their strong dedication to Lebanon's sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity, and unity, urging all involved parties to fully adhere to Security Council Resolution 1701 and honor the agreement reached on the cessation of hostilities on April 16.

Earlier on Saturday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed his strong condemnation of the attack.

"The assault on peacekeepers must cease. Such actions represent serious violations of international humanitarian law and Security Council Resolution 1701 (2006) and could be classified as war crimes," stated the spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric.

Guterres reiterated his demand for all parties to fulfill their obligations under international law, to guarantee the safety of UN personnel, the inviolability of UN property, and to uphold UNIFIL's freedom of movement, as stated in the announcement.

"Every assault on peacekeepers should be promptly investigated, and those responsible must face effective prosecution and accountability," it emphasized.

The statement highlighted that, based on an initial assessment by UNIFIL, the peacekeepers were fired upon by non-state actors, believed to be Hezbollah, while they were investigating a site where suspected improvised explosive devices had been reportedly placed along a road between two UN positions within the UNIFIL operational area in southern Lebanon.

This marks the third incident in recent weeks resulting in fatalities among peacekeepers serving with UNIFIL, despite the cessation of hostilities that was announced on April 16. The statement urged all parties to respect the truce and ceasefire.

"The Secretary-General conveys his profound condolences to the family, friends, and colleagues of the fallen peacekeeper, as well as to the Government and people of France. He wishes for a swift and complete recovery for the injured peacekeepers," the statement concluded.