Nine Finnish peacekeepers were patrolling when the crowd attacked them. People were apparently angry about the patrol equipment.
Finns a group of peacekeepers were besieged by an angry mob in Lebanon on Wednesday. In an imminent situation, attempts were made to break the windows of Finnish cars with large crushed stone, among other things.
The ground forces reported on the situation on Wednesday. Ground Forces bulletin According to him, a Finnish patrol with a total strength of nine people was on the move in three armored vehicles when a menacingly behaving crowd blocked their movement. According to the ground forces, five Finnish peacekeepers were subjected to minor violence. Vehicles used by the patrol also suffer damage.
Read more: Incident in Lebanon during a patrol mission of Finnish peacekeepers, five minor injuries
The video, published by the Lebanese LBCI News, is the commander of the Finnish Crisis Management Force SKJL in Lebanon, Lieutenant Colonel Hannu Koiviston according to the “most likely” incident in which the Finns were involved.
Lebanese According to Lebanon24 the Finns were in the city of Chaqra exploring the area. They had GPS equipment, maps and cameras. In particular, the cameras aroused the suspicions of the locals, which resulted in the siege and stoning of three Unifil operations cars.
Lebanon24 says that the interpreter who arrived at the scene tried to talk to the Finnish troops, who said they were lost. In the situation, it had been suggested that Unifil troops call on the Lebanese armed forces to escort, as eventually happened. However, the rage of the crowd flared up.
Lieutenant colonel According to Hannu Koivisto, the information on Lebanon24 is incorrect.
“The patrol knew exactly where it was, i.e. on the commanded route, and it was not mapping or photographing anything,” Koivisto commented to HS in an email.
“Navigation equipment is included so you know the location and stay on the right route. The patrol was equipped with basic equipment. ”
Al-Arabyia magazine according to the operation, the unifil operation urgently condemned the restriction of the freedom of movement of its troops. It called on the Lebanese administration to investigate and hold the attackers accountable for their actions.
The incident soon happened to the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterresin after the visit. Guterres visited southern Lebanon on Monday.
Finland participates in the UN multinational operation Unifil (United Nations Interim Force In Lebanon) as part of the French Commander Reserve Battalion (FCR). The Unifil operation was founded in 1978. At present, the operation serves about 200 Finns.
Lebanon the security situation has deteriorated dramatically recently.
The country of some 6.8 million people has been plagued by a series of overlapping crises: the economic downturn, hyperinflation caused by the currency collapse, mass unemployment, a paralyzed state of corrupt politics and a corona epidemic.
The World Bank estimates that Lebanon is in such a vicious cycle of crisis that it may have to go through even the third worst economic collapse in the world since the 1850s, if countries that have plunged into war are not included. The Lebanese civil war ended already 31 years ago.
Situation The Unifil peacekeeping operation in Finland’s area of responsibility in southern Lebanon has long been stable, but prone to rapid change, says Koivisto, SJKL’s commander.
According to Koivisto, incidents involving the physical integrity of Finns have been very rare.
“The economic and political crisis has also been reflected in southern Lebanon, but in general the attitude towards Finns has been broadly good.”
According to Koivisto, this has been partly due to the positive attitude of Finns towards the local population, as well as the moderate activities and equipment of the skilled.
“In this particular case, too, the patrol acted as ordered.”
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