UN Chief Saddened By Death Of Another Peacekeeper With Lebanon Mission

(MENAFN- IANS) United Nations, April 23 (IANS) UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is saddened by the death of a second French soldier serving with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) from his wounds in Saturday's attack, said a UN spokesman.

Attacks on peacekeepers must stop. They are grave violations of international humanitarian law and may amount to war crimes, said Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for Guterres, in a statement on Wednesday (local time).

All attacks on peacekeepers must be promptly investigated, and those responsible must be effectively prosecuted and held accountable. In this regard, the secretary-general welcomes the stated commitment of the Lebanese authorities with respect to Saturday's incident, reports Xinhua news agency, citing the statement.

Guterres urges all actors to respect the Israel-Lebanon ceasefire announced on Thursday. The United Nations is committed to supporting diplomatic efforts toward an extension of the cessation of hostilities and the full implementation of Security Council Resolution 1701, which is intended to resolve the 2006 Lebanon War fought between Hezbollah and Israel, said the statement.

Guterres expresses his deepest condolences to the family, friends, and colleagues of the second peacekeeper who died, and to the government and people of France, it said.

Earlier Wednesday, Dujarric identified the fallen French soldier as 31-year-old Corporal Anicet Girardin, who was a specialist dog handler. Girardin succumbed to his wounds on Wednesday at a hospital in Paris.

He was seriously wounded when his explosive ordnance disposal team, operating under UNIFIL's French contingent, came under attack while clearing a road in southern Lebanon in order to re-establish access to isolated UNIFIL positions, said Dujarric.

Girardin was the second soldier who died in Saturday's incident.

Another French soldier, who was severely injured, was also repatriated to Paris on Tuesday for treatment. He remains under medical care. A fourth peacekeeper, who sustained minor injuries, has returned to his post with his unit in southern Lebanon, said Dujarric.

UN initial assessment was that the peacekeepers came under fire from non-state armed groups, presumably Hezbollah, said the spokesman.

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