Bomb wounds French U.N. peacekeepers in South Lebanon

( Mohammed Zaatari / Associated Press ) - United Nations and emergency personnel gather

at the site of a roadside bomb attack on a U.N. peacekeepers’ vehicle in Bourj al-Shamali,

near the port city of Tyre, Lebanon, Friday, Dec. 9, 2011.

(Reuters) - A roadside bomb wounded five French peacekeepers in southern Lebanon on Friday, in the third attack this year on United Nations forces deployed near the frontier with Israel.
The blast hit a jeep carrying French UNIFIL troops on the outskirts of the Mediterranean port city of Tyre.

"I can confirm that a UNIFIL vehicle was hit by an explosion in Tyre," UNIFIL spokesman Andrea Tenenti said. "Five peacekeepers were injured."

The attack follows bombings in May and July against French and Italian peacekeepers and comes as the United Nations prepares a review of its 12,000-strong operation, which was beefed up after Israel's 34-day war with Hezbollah in 2006.

A Reuters reporter saw a jeep with its windows blown out and several wounded peacekeepers at the scene minutes after the explosion in the Burj al-Shamali district on the eastern edge of Tyre.

Most of the injuries were light but medical sources said one of the UNIFIL soldiers was badly wounded.
Security sources said two passersby were also hurt.

from Reuters 

By Hussein Saad

TYRE, Lebanon | Fri Dec 9, 2011 7:11am EST

Related articles

• Bomb wounds U.N. peacekeepers in Lebanon (cnn.com)

  Roadside bomb wounds 5 French peacekeepers in south Lebanon  (washingtonpost.com)

• U.N. Peacekeepers Wounded in Southern Lebanon Attack (nytimes.com)
• 5 UN Peacekeepers Wounded in Bombing in Lebanon (abcnews.go.com)
• 5 UN peacekeepers wounded in bombing in Lebanon (seattletimes.nwsource.com)

Posted in: IED, Lebanon