 "Firefighters extinguish a burning UNIFIL vehicle, set ablaze by protesters, on the road leading to Beirut's international airport on February 14, 2025. AFP")
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun vowed on Saturday to punish the perpetrators of an attack on a United Nations peacekeeping convoy a day earlier that wounded the force’s outgoing deputy commander.
Aoun “condemned the attack… and emphasised that the attackers will receive their punishment”, a statement from the presidency said on X.
“Security forces will not be lenient with any party that tries to upset stability and civil peace,” it added.
Hezbollah supporters blocked the road to the country’s only international airport for two consecutive nights over a decision barring two Iranian planes from landing in Beirut, with the army reporting unruly protests in the area Friday.
The UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) demanded an investigation after one of its vehicles was set on fire during the Friday night incident, wounding outgoing deputy force commander Chok Bahadur Dhakal as he was returning home.
The Lebanese army pledged to take firm action against those behind the attack, and the interior minister has called an emergency meeting of the Central Internal Security Council on Saturday morning.
The presidency’s statement said Aoun had checked on the deputy commander’s condition after the incident, which he said “cannot be allowed to be repeated”.
The statement said he had “followed up on developments regarding roadblocks, setting fires and riots, and issued directives to the army and security forces to put a stop to these practices”, adding that the judiciary “has begun investigations on the ground”.