WORLD

UN calls for urgent probe after vehicle torched in Beirut unrest

Lebanese army vows action as UN peacekeeping commander wounded in airport road clashes

Agence France-Presse, Anna Price

The United Nations has called for an immediate investigation after a peacekeeping vehicle was torched late Friday on the road to Beirut airport, where protesters had gathered for the second consecutive evening. The Lebanese army has vowed to take firm action following the incident, which left a UN commander wounded.

Supporters of Hezbollah blocked the road in protest against a decision barring two Iranian planes from landing. The Lebanese army reported acts of vandalism and clashes in several areas, pledging to prevent further disruptions and arrest those responsible.

UNIFIL, the UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon, condemned the attack as a "flagrant violation of international law" and warned that such assaults on peacekeepers could constitute war crimes. It urged Lebanese authorities to hold the perpetrators accountable.