UN says two peacekeepers wounded in south Lebanon explosions

UN peacekeepers in Lebanon on Friday warned of "very serious risks" for their Blue Helmets after explosions wounded two mission members near the Israeli border, the second such incident in two days.

Israel and Hezbollah have been clashing in south Lebanon since last week when Israel announced "targeted" incursions into Lebanon against the Lebanese militant group, which is backed by Iran.

Friday's incidents came after peacekeeping mission UNIFIL said its positions had been "repeatedly hit" and two Indonesian Blue Helmets were injured on Thursday, sparking a wave of international condemnation.

On Friday morning, "UNIFIL's Naqura headquarters was affected by explosions for the second time in the last 48 hours. Two peacekeepers were injured after two explosions occurred close to an observation tower," the peacekeeping mission said. A UNIFIL spokeswoman said they were Sri Lankan.

In addition, several blast walls "at our UN position 1-31, near the Blue Line in Labbouneh, fell when an IDF Caterpillar hit the perimeter and IDF tanks moved in the proximity of the UN position."

"These incidents put again UN peacekeepers, who are serving in south Lebanon at the request of the Security Council under resolution 1701 (2006), at very serious risks," it said.

Earlier, Lebanon's foreign ministry said the Israeli army targeted "watchtowers and the main UNIFIL base in Ras Naqura, and on the Sri Lankan battalion's base, which led to a number of wounded". Ras Naqura is further south from Naqura.

Lebanon's official National News Agency said an Israeli "Merkava tank targeted one of the UNIFIL towers on the main road linking Tyre and Naqura", wounding the Sri Lankan personnel.

Hezbollah said on Friday said it fired rockets at Israel troops in Ras Naqura.

In the earlier incident, on Thursday, UNIFIL said an Israeli tank fired towards a watchtower at the mission's Naqura headquarters, hitting it and causing two peacekeepers to fall, with injuries.

The incident sparked condemnation from European members of the mission as well as China.

On Thursday, Israel's military said its forces had opened fire in the area of the UN base, after telling the peacekeepers to stay protected, as Hezbollah fighters were operating in the area.

Human Rights Watch on Friday called for a UN inquiry "on Israeli attacks on peacekeepers" in Lebanon.

"Any targeting of UN peacekeepers by Israeli forces violates the laws of war and dangerously interferes with UNIFIL's civilian protection and aid work," HRW's Lama Fakih said.

UNIFIL, which has about 10,000 peacekeepers stationed in south Lebanon, has called for a ceasefire since an escalation between Israel and Lebanese militant group Hezbollah on September 23, after a year of cross-border fire.