New Delhi, April 2 India on Thursday condemned the deadly attacks on UN peacekeepers in southern Lebanon and called for the "inviolability" of the mission.
New Delhi's comments followed the deaths of two Indonesian 'Blue Helmets' earlier this week, which has sparked global concerns over the safety of UN peacekeepers in the conflict zone.
The fatalities occurred against the backdrop of a sharp escalation in cross-border violence between the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) and Hezbollah. This followed an announcement from the Israeli military regarding a significant expansion of its ground offensive to dismantle Hezbollah infrastructure in southern Lebanon.
India has been a major contributor of military personnel to UN peacekeeping missions across the world.
"We condemn the recent attacks on UN Peacekeepers deployed in UNIFIL, and pay our homage to the fallen Blue Helmets. We urge all parties to ensure the inviolability of the UN mission and the safety and security of the peacekeepers," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.
"As one of the largest and longest serving contributors to peacekeeping, and in consonance with UN Security Council resolution 2589, we seek accountability for crimes against peacekeepers," he said.
The deceased soldiers were working for the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). "In UNIFIL, we (India) have around 600 Indian troops," Jaiswal said.
India has been playing an important role in UN peacekeeping operations and its troops under the aegis of UN mandated peacekeeping missions have made significant contribution to global peace and security, he said.
Originally, UNIFIL was created by the UN Security Council in 1978 to confirm Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon, restore international peace and security and assist the Lebanese government in restoring its effective authority in the area.
The mandate had to be adjusted twice, due to the developments in 1982 and 2000.
The UNIFIL is conducting investigations "to determine the circumstances of these tragic developments", the head of UN Peace Operations, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, said in New York.
"We strongly condemn these unacceptable incidents. Peacekeepers must never be a target," he told journalists at a press briefing at UN Headquarters.
"We also remain seriously concerned about several aggressive behaviour incidents against UNIFIL peacekeepers in the past couple of days," he added.
