Hezbollah Mortar Fire Hits UNIFIL Post in Southern Lebanon, Killing U.N. Staffer

A U.N. staff member was killed and two additional team members were wounded after Hezbollah mortar shells struck a UNIFIL post in southern Lebanon, according to a statement released today (Thursday) by the IDF spokesperson.

In the IDF statement, officials said that overnight, several mortar launches were detected from the al-Qatrani area in southern Lebanon. Based on the findings collected, the shells landed inside a UNIFIL post in the Dabin area, causing casualties among U.N. personnel stationed there.

The IDF spokesperson said, "The Hezbollah terrorist organization fired mortar shells that landed in a UNIFIL post and killed a U.N. staff member in southern Lebanon." It was also reported that as a result of the strike, one member of the international organization was killed and two others were wounded.

The IDF emphasized that an examination of the launch trajectory produced unequivocal findings regarding the source of the fire, saying: "An examination of the launch trajectory clearly shows that the fire was carried out by the Hezbollah terrorist organization." Officials added that "the launches by the Hezbollah terrorist organization endanger international forces and also harm U.N. personnel operating in the area."

Earlier, UNIFIL released a statement saying that one of its personnel died of his wounds after being hit by a mortar shell that struck the position where he was stationed in Marjayoun in southeastern Lebanon. According to the organization's statement, the strike occurred last night, and the wounded man was evacuated to a hospital in Beirut, where he was pronounced dead. UNIFIL also said that two additional team members wounded in the incident are being treated at a medical facility of the international force. The organization announced that an investigation has been opened to clarify the circumstances of the incident.