Lebanon: Four Ghanaian soldiers wounded in rocket attack

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Four Ghanaian soldiers serving on a peacekeeping mission in Lebanon were injured when a rocket, believed to have been fired by non-state actors, struck their base, UNP 5-42, in the village of Ramyah on Tuesday.

The attack, one of three incidents targeting UN peacekeeping forces and facilities that day, occurred near the Israeli border. Of the four injured soldiers, three required hospital treatment, though the severity of their injuries remains unclear.

United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) confirmed that the soldiers are receiving medical care.

Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), currently engaged in a ground invasion of southern Lebanon against Hezbollah, suggested the rocket was fired by the Lebanese armed group. However, Hezbollah has not commented on the incident.

The rocket, aimed at an IDF position but falling short, landed within Ghana Battalion’s area at UNP 5-42, damaging the washroom and troop accommodations and injuring the soldiers.

In a statement on X, UNIFIL detailed that three of the injured soldiers were transferred to a hospital in Tyre. Another incident involved five rockets striking the UNIFIL Sector West Headquarters in Shama, causing significant damage to the maintenance workshop but no injuries.

This marks the second time in less than a week that the Shama base has been impacted, following a 155mm artillery shell strike on November 15, 2024. Additionally, a UNIFIL patrol was fired upon by an armed individual near the village of Khirbat Silim, though no injuries were reported.

UNIFIL has launched investigations into these incidents, condemning the attacks as violations of international law and UN resolution 1701. Despite these challenges, peacekeepers continue to monitor and report on violations, maintaining their positions to ensure stability in the region.