UNIFIL says one peacekeeper killed, one critically injured in southern Lebanon explosion
A UN peacekeeper was killed and another critically injured in southern Lebanon when a projectile exploded near a UNIFIL position. The incident occurred near the village of Adchit al-Qusayr on Sunday, amidst heightened tensions in the region.
On March 29, 2026 (late Sunday, reported Monday March 30), a United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) peacekeeper was killed and another critically injured when a projectile exploded at a UNIFIL position near the southern Lebanese village of Adchit al-Qusayr. The incident occurred amidst heightened tensions in the region, where UNIFIL monitors hostilities along the demarcation line between Lebanon and Israel, an area that has seen frequent clashes between Israeli forces and Iran-backed Hezbollah fighters.
UNIFIL immediately launched an investigation to determine the origin of the projectile, which remains unknown as of the latest reports. The peacekeeping mission emphasized in its statement that deliberate attacks on peacekeepers constitute grave violations of international humanitarian law and Security Council Resolution 1701, and may amount to war crimes. UNIFIL called on all actors to uphold their obligations under international law and ensure the safety of UN personnel and property.
The nationality of the killed and injured peacekeepers has not been specified in official UNIFIL statements or available news coverage. This incident is part of an ongoing pattern of danger faced by UNIFIL personnel in southern Lebanon. Just weeks earlier, on March 6, 2026, Ghana's armed forces reported that their UN peacekeeping battalion headquarters was hit by missile attacks, leaving two soldiers critically injured, with Israel's military later acknowledging that its tank fire had struck the UN position.
UNIFIL, established in 1978 and expanded after the 2006 war, is scheduled to be halted at the end of 2026 following a UN Security Council decision in August 2025 to end the nearly five-decade mission. The peacekeeping force has faced increasing risks in recent months, with UNIFIL reporting that its personnel have been fired upon approximately 20 times amid the Israel-Hezbollah conflict, resulting in four peacekeepers injured in two separate incidents prior to this fatal explosion.
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