Sergeant Milovan Jovanovic of Serbia, serving with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), was killed after a mortar hit a UN position near Marji’yun in the eastern sector of the mission’s operational area on Wednesday.
According to the UN, two additional peacekeepers, from Spain and El Salvador, sustained injuries in the incident and are receiving treatment at a UNIFIL medical facility in southern Lebanon.
India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Harish Parvathaneni, expressed condolences in a social media post on Thursday, saying, “Our sincere condolences to Serbia and to the family of the Serbian Blue Helmet of UNIFIL who was killed in this deplorable attack.”
Blue Helmets are military personnel, police officers and civilian experts serving under UN peacekeeping missions.
Parvathaneni also conveyed his wishes for the speedy recovery of the injured personnel and emphasised that the international community “must come together to ensure the safety and security of UN peacekeepers” carrying out mandates authorised by the UN Security Council.
In a separate statement, India’s Permanent Mission to the UN denounced the attack, honoured the deceased peacekeeper and wished the injured personnel a quick recovery.
The mission called for a swift and detailed investigation into the incident to bring those responsible to justice and ensure full accountability.
“India reiterates the fundamental importance of respecting the sanctity and inviolability of UN premises and personnel. We call upon all parties to ensure the safety and security of UN peacekeepers, who operate under UN Security Council mandates,” the statement said.
India further stressed the need for full implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 2589 on Accountability for Crimes against Peacekeepers, which was adopted in August 2021 during India’s Presidency of the Council.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also condemned the attack and reiterated that all assaults on peacekeepers must be investigated without delay, with those responsible prosecuted and held accountable.
A statement issued by Stéphane Dujarric, spokesperson for the Secretary-General, said that seven UNIFIL peacekeepers have been killed and several others injured since hostilities intensified in March this year.
“Attacks on peacekeepers must stop,” Guterres said, adding that such acts constitute serious violations of international humanitarian law and Security Council resolutions and “may amount to war crimes”.
Earlier in March, India had condemned attacks targeting UN peacekeepers in Lebanon and joined nearly 30 troop-contributing countries to UNIFIL in voicing concern over the escalating conflict in the West Asian nation.
The countries also criticised Hezbollah’s “reckless decision” to participate in Iranian attacks against Israel.
